


I Want My Innocence Back

by hereholdmyhobo



Series: After The Fall [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: After the Fall, M/M, NSFW, but you can't have a Hannibal fic without it, but you deserve it, probably not overly graphic depictions of violence, writing this smut is kicking my ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-02 14:56:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 61,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12728796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hereholdmyhobo/pseuds/hereholdmyhobo
Summary: After surviving the fall, Will and Hannibal go on the run, hoping for a reasonable facsimile of happiness together. But will it last? And is it real?





	1. Chapter 1

Air; that was all Will could think about. He kicked hard for the surface, and when his face was hit by the salty sea air, he gasped, taking in a lungful. Once he'd managed to get his bearings, he looked around himself, surprised that he had survived the fall. He'd half expected to hit rocks, or be swept under by a strong current. He brushed his hair from his face with his left hand, then scanned the area. When he immediately didn't spot Hannibal, panic started to settle in. He turned in the water, looking in every direction. Still no sign of him.   
"Hannibal!"   
He continued turning in the water, occasionally going under. His cries grew more and more desperate, until...   
Hannibal broke the surface of the water a few feet away. Will propelled himself over to the other as quickly as he could, just in time to grab Hannibal, keeping him from going under again. He let out a cry of pain as he wrapped an arm round Hannibal's back, pulling him close, making sure to keep his head above water. He then looked around again, so desperate in his hope to find Dr Lecter that he hadn't even thought about what to do once he had done.   
He could feel his strength waning with every passing moment, and the longer they stayed in the water, the weaker they would get. Hannibal was barely conscious, peering up at Will's face before his eyelids fluttered closed again. Without thinking anymore, Will chose a direction and started swimming for it, forcing himself to keep going, ignoring the pain in his face and chest, ignoring how his legs started screaming as they cramped. More than once they both went under the water, Hannibal's body limp, Will less and less able to keep them both afloat.   
Eventually, blissfully, Will's feet hit something solid and it was with a cry of triumph and agony that he pulled Hannibal's body out of the water before letting him fall to the ground. He collapsed beside the older male, and despite fighting it, he was pulled down into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

When Hannibal woke up the first thing he realised was that he was staring up at the sky. The second thing was that he was in absolute agony. And the third thing was that he was very much alive. He let out a groan and somehow managed to get himself into something that resembled a sitting position, and looked around. He was alone, which was a bad sign. He turned and looked in the other direction and saw footsteps disappearing into the sand. He frowned.   
"Will?"   
He croaked, then licked his lips before trying to stand. His legs shook beneath him and he collapsed into a heap again. He wrapped an arm round his middle and wasn't overly surprised to find that he was still bleeding. How much blood had he lost? And where was Will?   
"Will?"   
He called, perhaps a little louder, though he didn't have the energy for much else. His vision blurred, then refocused, then blurred again. He let himself lie back against the sand, falling back into ignorance.   
He woke up several times after that, but nothing he saw really made much sense. Perhaps he was delirious from the blood loss and swallowing that much sea water, but he was sure that, at one point, he was being dragged into a car by Will. He apparently woke up in said car with Will telling him it was going to be okay, and that someone really needed to hurry up. The third and fourth times he woke up he was in what appeared to be a hospital of some kind, at the very least a doctor's surgery. On the fifth time he woke up, he was able to stay that way, even though things were blurry for a time. He glanced to his left, then to his right to find Will slumped slightly in a chair, fast asleep. He licked his lips and looked up at the ceiling, then looked at Will again. He tried to talk, but his throat was so dry all he managed was a faint croak. He cleared his throat the best that he could and tried again.   
"Will..."   
Will jerked awake, looking momentarily confused himself, then relieved when he saw Hannibal was looking directly at him.   
"You're awake. Finally..."   
He shifted forwards on his chair, grunting slightly, yet looking concerned.   
"How are you feeling?"   
Hannibal looked at the ceiling again, then down at his own body. His chest was bare and he was still wearing his soaking wet trousers, but he, surprisingly, felt rather calm.   
"I can assure you that I have felt better, though I have also felt worse."   
Will let out a light laugh and looked Hannibal over.   
"Where are we, Will?"   
Hannibal's words made Will focus, and he looked back at the other male.   
"A veterinarian's."   
"I beg your pardon?"   
Will swallowed, working out how to best reply. At least he had chosen to be honest.   
"We couldn't have gone to a hospital, considering you are one of the most notorious killers of our generation. And I couldn't very well have gone anywhere too out in the open, considering I...I told Jack to place the blame entirely on my shoulders when your so called escape got out. Only...well, things haven't exactly gone the way any of us thought they would."   
"Dolarhyde certainly foiled Jack's plans."   
"Mm. So, I improvised. Luckily, I bumped into someone who doesn't read or watch much news, so they have, so I believe, no idea who we are. And they didn't ask too many questions."   
Hannibal nodded once, either too tired to really be taking in their situation or quietly plotting how they could escape this veterinarian without them aid asking any questions at all. If they had to kill him or her then so be it. He breathed in deeply and let his eyes close, then pushed himself to a sitting position with a grunt. Will seemed about to object, but Hannibal silenced him with a look. He checked his stomach, running his fingers over the stitches on his front, then back.   
"She...she said we should probably have gone to a hospital, but she was able to stop the bleeding."   
"Where is she?"   
Will looked towards the door, then back to Hannibal before getting to his feet.   
"She went to cancel all of her less important calls for the morning. Hannibal, please..."   
Hannibal had attempted to climb off of the table he was on, but let out another grunt of pain and simply sat on the edge somewhat awkwardly. Will tried to push him back down again, but Hannibal fought him.   
"We have to leave, Will. The longer we sit still the more likely we will be caught."   
"You need to rest..."   
"I can rest once we're clear of the city. Will."   
They looked at each other; Hannibal's brown eyes locked onto Will's green.   
"We have to leave. Now."   
After a few moments in which Will deliberated with himself, he sighed and nodded, then helped Hannibal to his feet.   
It was at that moment that their saviour stepped into the room. She broke into a grin when she saw that Hannibal was awake. She was a plain looking woman, at least to Hannibal, and she had a friendly face. He didn't, however, like her eyes; they were very keen, taking in everything about them, putting it to memory. He glanced at Will, was momentarily aggravated at the smile he saw on the other male's face, then forced himself to provide one as well. The woman smiled more.   
"Well, hello! I'm glad you're finally awake!"   
She walked forwards and checked Hannibal's stitches.   
"They should hold. Though you really need to get to a hospital. The biggest animal I've ever sewn up before was a pig!"   
Hannibal winced slightly, taking it as a personal insult. He was liking this woman less and less with every passing second.   
"Thank you ever so much, Daisy. We can only imagine what would have happened to us if you hadn't come along."   
_Daisy?_ Hannibal thought with a sneer on his face. _Very fitting name for a pig._  
"Don't mention it. It's not the first time I've had to stitch up a couple fellas who got into an altercation. Probably won't be the last."   
Daisy's smile faltered when she spotted Hannibal's face, and when Will noticed it as well, he forced a laugh.   
"I think we might hit that hospital. I think someone's in pain. Come on, dear."   
The term of endearment came as a complete surprise to Hannibal, and his growing hatred for Daisy took a backseat in his mind. He looked at Will as they walked forwards, both in shock and amazement. They had almost reached the back door when Daisy reappeared.   
"Oh, before I forget; you can borrow my jeep. It's parked out back, here are the keys."   
She stepped forwards (Hannibal was sure he could hear her trotters slipping around in her shoes) and handed Will the keys.   
"Just give me a call on that number I gave you and I'll be able to come get it."   
"Thanks again, Daisy. You're a real life saver."   
Will's smile stayed in place until he'd turned his back on the woman, and he adopted a very similar sneer to Hannibal's.   
"Daisy," Hannibal spat under his breath. "What a wonderful old sow..."   
"Be quiet, she'll hear you."   
"I didn't know pigs were renowned for their hearing, Will."   
"Stop it."   
Will unlocked the jeep and helped Hannibal inside, then smiled and waved to Daisy before he got into the driver's seat. Daisy disappeared back inside her clinic, the door swinging closed behind her. Hannibal muttered to himself as he drifted off to sleep as Will started the car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first paragraph is a direct continuation from the previous chapter~

He turned the heating on relatively high as he pulled out of the parking lot, deciding to just drive as far away from Baltimore as he possibly could. He knew he'd already risked a lot by seeking out help in the first place, but he wouldn't have been able to help Hannibal, and he couldn't have gone to a hospital. He knew the other male would have a few more choice words for him when he finally work up, but for the time being, Will was content just to sit in silence and watch the road. He occasionally glanced over at Hannibal, reassuring himself when he saw the male's chest rise and fall. He ran his fingertips over his cheek; Daisy had worked on him as well, though he'd waited till she'd finished with Hannibal. He sighed, then gripped the steering wheel tightly and increased his driving speed. 

-/- 

"Hannibal...Hannibal, wake up...wake up..."  
Hannibal groaned and swatted at the voice, turning his head a little more, attempting to hide his face in his own shoulder. His movement caused pain to shoot through his abdomen and he opened his eyes, grimacing. Will's face came into focus.  
"What is it, Will?"  
"I've got you some food."  
How could he not have noticed it sooner? A paper bag, grease, salt. He wrinkled his nose and turned his head back round again, letting his eyes drift over Will's face and down to the bag in his out stretched hand. His stomach gave a lurch and he let out another groan.  
"I know it's probably extremely unsuitable for your palette, but I can't exactly walk into a five-star restaurant and order you something made by the finest gourmet chef this side of...France."  
Noting Will's disgruntled tone, Hannibal snatched the bag away from the other male and pushed himself into a sitting position. The grimace didn't leave his face as he peered at what Will had wrongfully referred to as food; if anything, it got worse. He tentatively pulled out a very sad looking french fry and examined it before closing his eyes and popping it in his mouth. It tasted just as bad as he feared, though the salt helped a little. And at least it was hot.  
"Where are we?"  
Hannibal looked out of the windshield and only saw a stretch of highway. A few cars went past as he watched, but there was nothing he recognised.  
"I'm not entirely sure. I just drove north."  
Will had already eaten half of whatever he had in his bag, and Hannibal made a conscious effort to eat as much of his that he could, ignoring the seemingly rebellious cramps in his stomach.  
"How long did you drive for before you stopped?"  
Will crammed several fries in his mouth and chewed before replying.  
"About four hours."  
About four hours north. Hannibal nibbled thoughtfully on a fry before turning back to Will.  
"I have a cabin we could go to. I haven't been there in some time, so I have no idea what condition it will be in, but it would be a good place to start."  
"Is it under your name?"  
Hannibal let out a chuckle.  
"Of course not, Will."  
"How many aliases do you have, anyway?"  
"We'll have time for a question and answer session when we're safe behind a locked door. We should get going."  
Will took a large bite out of what Hannibal assumed was a cheeseburger from the smell before pulling back onto the road.  
"Will you at least tell me where we're going?"  
"Of course."  
Hannibal picked at his burger, giving Will directions that he remembered more and more clearly, as they went. As they drove into Williamsport, Will asked fewer and fewer questions, which Hannibal was grateful for. He wasn't exactly full, and his stomach was still churning with the so-called food he had ingested, but he was starting to feel sleep tugging at him again, and the less he spoke the happier he felt. They eventually pulled up outside a building that looked as though it had seen better days, though still managed to look inviting. Will shut off the engine, then looked over at Hannibal, who merely smiled at him before struggling out of the car. Will let out a sigh before climbing out himself and walking over to offer Hannibal an arm, which was gratefully taken.  
"How is your cheek, Will?"  
"Much better now. I lost a tooth."  
"And your shoulder?"  
"Sore."  
"Of course."  
Hannibal grinned as they walked slowly towards the cabin. When they reached the porch, Will looked at Hannibal. They spoke at the same time.  
"Do you have the key?"  
"The key is under that board."  
Will looked to where Hannibal was pointing, and let go of the other male to search for the key. The board in question came away easily, revealing a small key the same colour as the handle on the door. Will replaced the board and straightened up before unlocking the door and pushing it open. A waft of musty air greeted them, and Hannibal wasted no time at all in half walking, half falling through the door. He walked past a small table bearing a lamp and disappeared into a room. Will took one final glance around behind them before joining the other male inside.


	4. Chapter 4

"This is nice."  
Will closed the front door, looking round the entryway before following after Hannibal, who had disappeared entirely. Will frowned slightly, about to speak again, when Hannibal emerged from what Will assumed to be a bathroom.  
"These stitches are horrendous."  
"They're not bad."  
"That woman butchered me."  
Will rolled his eyes; Hannibal was over-reacting. Probably due to the blood loss. The stitches were fine. They were perfectly neat, straight and totally acceptable for a woman who'd never sewn up a human before.  
"The scarring will be negligible."  
Hannibal shot Will a look, then stepped back into the bathroom. Will heard the sound of a shower turning on and took that as his queue to leave, though he didn't wander very far. He took in the cabin, a one storey building decorated in a very Hannibal-esque way, despite the fact it wasn't very extravagant. The living room was comfortable and practical, and the kitchen looked like something that would seem more at home in an apartment than a cabin, but it somehow worked. The bedroom was small but well-furnished as well, and he couldn't help but wonder when Hannibal had deemed it necessary to purchase such a building. He made a mental note to ask, then closed the bedroom door and back tracked to the entryway. He plucked at his own damp, blood stained clothing and realised that a shower was a wonderful idea. The only downside being that he had no clothes with him, and he wasn't sure how he felt about wearing Hannibal's underwear.  
Not wanting to hover around, waiting for however long it took Hannibal to scrub himself clean, Will checked through the contents of the kitchen cupboards. There wasn't very much, though he wasn't surprised at all to find a pantry with a good-sized freezer.  
_Probably be full of meat by the end of the month._ He thought to himself with a wry smile.  
There were a couple tins of soup and some other long-lasting staples, and all the tins were layered in dust. In fact, the entire house had a layer of dust over it. They, or rather, he, would definitely have to give it a clean if they were going to settle there.  
_Settle._  
The word reverberated round Will's brain, causing him to stop what he was doing and stand perfectly still, a hand out stretched to test the water. They were going to _have to_ settle there. He couldn't call Molly and tell her he was alive, or okay. He couldn't call Jack and tell them where they were. They were on the run.  
The reality of the situation seemed to finally sink in, and Will had to grasp the counter to keep himself upright. He had just willingly taken part in the murder of Francis Dolarhyde. Despite the fact the man was a psychopath and had killed people, he, Will Graham, had helped to kill him. And he had enjoyed it. Loved it, even. _Embraced it._ He breathed in deeply and looked down at the sink, then up at the window in front of him. He swallowed back a whimper and turned on the tap. The water ran clear, so he shut it off again and turned around, leaning back against the sink, staring at the floor.  
He was in a cabin, in Williamsport, with Hannibal Lecter. A known cannibal, his psychiatrist, a murderer. He had pulled the man out of the sea and found them both help. He had done that. Done it without even thinking. Done it without worrying about the consequences of their actions, or even thinking about the fact he was now a fugitive. _With_ a fugitive. Every single member of every single police squad in the country would be looking for them. The FBI, maybe even the CIA would be looking for them. There was nowhere they could be safe!  
Or was that the case? Jack wouldn't let the masses know that there was a crazed cannibal on the loose, and that he was being assisted by someone who wasn't exactly mentally stable at the best of times. He could tell the people who needed to know, and keep as much out of the press as he could. As for the CIA, they had more important things to worry about than wandering cannibals, surely. Would they be safe? At least for a while, perhaps. Will knew Hannibal was an incredibly smart man; as he showered he could bet that he was coming up with aliases for them both, some back story for why they were living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. They wouldn't have much contact with people, for a while maybe, and they would only get what they needed from the next town. Or would Hannibal have people he could call, that he trusted, to bring them what they needed?  
"Will, are you alright?"  
Will was brought out of his reverie by Hannibal's voice, and he looked up to see the man stood in the kitchen doorway, wearing nothing but a towel. Will swallowed and nodded.  
"Just thinking," He replied, pushing himself away from the counter. "Mind if I shower?"  
"Not at all. There's a clean towel for you. I'll find you something to wear."  
"Thank you."  
Will didn't look at Hannibal as he passed him, but Hannibal certainly looked at Will. His eyes never missed a thing, but he didn't ask questions. There was plenty of time for them to probe each other's minds, but he couldn't help with wish he could hear what was happening in Will's.  
He shook his head and wandered into his bedroom, aware that Will had at least peered into the room as he opened the door. He found himself some clothes and got dressed carefully, checking on his stitches in the mirror one last time before tugging on his shirt. That woman had done a pretty good job, but he was still sore about the pig comment. It hadn't been a personal slight but it felt that way, and if Hannibal ever saw her again, he would show her just what a good pig was for.  
He found some clothes that he figured would at least just about fit Will and carried them into the kitchen with him. He repeated the actions that Will had done, checking in the cupboards and pantry, checking to see if the water was still working. Satisfied that things were up to par, he headed back into his bedroom and looked through his things; he had false identification for himself, as expected, but nothing yet for Will. He also had plenty of money to see them through in a bank account associated to his new name, so he would be able to get clothes for Will, food for them both and perhaps something to assist with their healing.  
"Emilio De Luca."  
It was a name he'd chosen a long time ago, but it was still a pleasant sound to his ears. He collected the few things he needed from the drawer before getting to his feet and nudging the drawer closed with his leg. Will had emerged from the shower by that point, and he was looking a little lost in the entryway. Hannibal walked out to the male, giving his shoulder a look over, trying to ignore the way Will's curls were sticking against his face.  
"I found you some clothes. Come."  
He lead the way back into the kitchen where he'd left them.  
"They should fit you, though I doubt they are to your taste."  
"They'll do for now. Thank you."  
Will took the clothes, then nodded to the items that Hannibal was holding.  
"What's that?"  
"Ah, this is my birth certificate."  
Hannibal grinned, then held up the piece of paper. Will mouthed the name on it, raising an eyebrow.  
"As well as a wallet with enough cash to keep us afloat for a couple of days. I have plenty more for when we need it."  
"Emilio?"  
"Yes, and we'll need to come up with a new name for you, dearest William."  
"As long as it's nothing as fancy as Emilio De Luca."  
Will turned and headed back towards the bathroom.  
"Do you not approve?"  
"It's entirely up to you what you call yourself, Doctor."  
Will closed the door in Hannibal's face, but rather than be insulted, Hannibal grinned. Will had smiled at him just before he closed the door. Perhaps he liked the name, perhaps he didn't, but it had amused him all the same.  
Hannibal walked into the living room and settled himself in one of the armchairs. He went to cross his legs, but the action pulled on his stitches. He let out a grunt of pained annoyance and leaned back in his seat, letting his head fall back as he closed his eyes. He was still extremely tried, hindered, no doubt, by his determination in the shower, as well as getting himself dried and dressed. He would need to venture out of the cabin, and soon, in order to get them some actual food. As well as a few other essentials. He had a feeling Will would protest at him going out alone, never mind going out at all, but it was necessary; Hannibal knew the area, Will didn't. Hannibal had the means of procuring the things they needed, Will didn't. Until they were able to get Will a new identity, he would be the one who would have to lie low. Hannibal always had had ways of going about his business undetected, and nothing was going to change that. He was a cunning, stealthy and intuitive man, who had been forced into a new life several times.  
He breathed in deeply and let out a sigh, just on the cusp of falling asleep again, when he became aware that he was no longer alone in the room. He smiled before opening his eyes.  
"Remind me not to purchase any of your former cologne. You smell much better."  
"Thanks?"  
Will sat down on the chair opposite Hannibal, almost out of habit, then looked around the room.  
"This certainly isn't what I envisioned when you told me to drive here."  
"Oh? And why is that?"  
"It's not very...well, it's not very you."  
Hannibal chuckled.  
"It serves its purpose."  
"When was the last time you were here?" Will settled back in his chair.  
"A fair amount of time ago. I'm not sure what made me feel it was prudent to buy it. Foresight, perhaps."  
"You knew something like this would happen?"  
"Something like this?" Hannibal gestured to himself, then Will, then their surroundings. "No. Something, yes, but not like this."  
Will swallowed and nodded, looking at his knees.  
"I am extremely surprised that we are still alive." Hannibal straightened his trouser leg, not looking at Will.  
"So am I."  
"I am also pleased."  
"So am I."  
The two men looked at one another; Hannibal with a slight grin on his lips, Will with an almost blank expression on his face. They stayed that way for a few moments before Will broke eye contact, looking around the room.  
"I need to go out."  
Hannibal's sudden declaration startled Will; they'd just got there after all! Where could he possibly go?!  
"Wh-…"  
"I assure you I won't be long. And it has to be me as I know the area. I will make it there and back without suspicion."  
"How can you be so sure about that?"  
"I have done this many times before, Will. I know what I am doing."  
Will didn't question Hannibal as the other male got to his feet, though he couldn't bite his tongue for long.  
"You're hardly in a position to be walking, let alone driving or lifting anything."  
"Needs must."  
Hannibal headed for the front door, but Will caught up with him.  
"I should go."  
"Give me the keys, please, Will."  
"I'll go."  
"Will. The keys."  
The stern tone in Hannibal's voice compelled Will to do as he was told. What was the use in arguing when he knew the male was right? He didn't know the area, and he certainly didn't know what it was that Hannibal wanted. Even if he asked he probably wouldn't know all of the details.  
"Thank you. Again, I assure you, I won't be long."  
Hannibal gripped Will's good shoulder firmly before slipping on his shoes, pulling on a jacket and wrapping a scarf around his mouth. He nodded at Will before leaving the cabin, walking slowly and measuredly towards the jeep. Will let out a sigh, watching the other male struggling into the front seat. He didn't like being left alone any more than he liked letting Hannibal out of his sight, but he supposed they would have to learn to trust one another.  
He wondered just how far that trust would extend as Hannibal started the engine, and drove out of sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Perhaps being behind the wheel of a vehicle had been a bad idea, but Hannibal was determined to get the things he wanted himself. He may have almost passed out once or twice on the way into town, and maybe he nearly ran someone over as they crossed the street, but he made it. He parked in front of the grocery store and climbed awkwardly out of the jeep before walking into the building. Sending Will would have been a disaster; would he have chosen organic?! 

Will paced for a little while as he waited, occasionally glancing out the front door, which he insisted on leaving open, to see if Hannibal was returning yet. Even though he had only been gone for about thirty minutes, Will paced a little further. He started walking out onto the porch, looking down the road as far as he could, then going back inside. After that he started going down the porch steps and standing with his hands on his hips. Would Hannibal leave? He didn't think the male would get very far, but he didn't know what Hannibal was thinking at the best of times. What if he _did_ just drive away and never come back? He had money with him, as well as the jeep. It would be very easy for him to just leave Will there and wait for Will's guilt to inevitably defeat him.   
"Ohh, I wouldn't put it past you."   
Will spoke aloud to nobody, then went back into the cabin. 

"Do you need any help?"   
"No thank you. I can manage."   
Somehow, Hannibal managed to carry the groceries back to the jeep. When he closed the back door slightly harder than he intended to, he let out a grunt of pain. It was good that Dolarhyde was dead, and by his hand; otherwise he would kill him for shooting him in the abdomen. Will had gotten off relatively easily. At least he could still move.   
Leaving the car where it was, Hannibal moved on to the nearest clothing store, knowing Will's size and clothing preference. He didn't take as long in there, which was good. 

Will had walked a little ways down the road, then a little more, then a lot more. At one point he turned around and couldn't see the cabin, so he decided to head back. But even then, he only got half way before turning back and frowning. He let out a groan and went back to the cabin. He was now less worried about Hannibal leaving and more afraid that something might have happened to him. If he heard sirens he would run. 

Once the jeep was loaded with everything he thought of that they would need, Hannibal climbed into the driver's seat. He sat there for a few moments with his head leaned back against the rest, breathing in deeply, trying to get through the pain. Once he was able to see clearly again he unzipped his jacket and lifted his jumper; he was bleeding again. It was a good thing he'd thought to stock up his first aid kit as well. His wound would have to wait till he got back, however. He couldn't risk someone spotting him and asking questions. He didn't have the strength to silence them efficiently. 

When Will heard the familiar sound of tires on gravel, his heart leapt into his throat at around the same as he leapt up from the porch steps. He stood there, breathing heavily, ready to disappear back into the cabin at the first sign of trouble. He even held a kitchen knife in his good hand, just in case. But he didn't need to worry too much; it was only Hannibal returning, even if he did seem slumped a little. He tried to calm himself as he walked forwards to meet the jeep, but the worry was probably etched all over his face. Hannibal gave him a reassuring smile, then opened the driver's side door.   
"Will, would you please assist me?"   
Hannibal held his arms out and Will guided him carefully out of the jeep. Up close, Hannibal looked pale and pained, which Will wasn't exactly surprised by.   
"You've been gone for ages."   
"My apologies. It's harder to shop while wounded."   
Hannibal actually turned to the back of the jeep, but Will somewhat sternly walked him into the cabin. He sat him down in an armchair.   
"You wait there. I'll deal with everything else."   
Hannibal gave Will a grateful smile, then got himself settled. He might even have dozed off a little, as when he woke up again, Will was hovering over him, looking concerned.   
"Hello, Will."   
"Come on."   
Will helped Hannibal to his feet, then helped him out of his jacket and scarf. Hannibal hissed when his jacket was removed, as it had stuck to his shirt which in turn had stuck to his stomach.   
"I knew I should have gone."   
"It's done, Will. I wouldn't fret."   
"Hm."   
Will cleaned up Hannibal's wound, then pressed a gauze to it and wrapped bandages round Hannibal's middle.   
"I should probably rest."   
"I agree."   
Hannibal leaned on Will as he was walked into the bedroom, and he didn't need telling to lie down. Will removed his shoes, then helped him under the covers.   
"Just call if you need me."   
Hannibal gave a non-committal grunt as he fell asleep. Will sighed heavily, then stood there for about half a minute, just watching the other male. How easy would it be, just to hold a pillow over Hannibal's face? Or to stab him? All the times they had tried, and failed, to kill one another and here they were. Then again, throwing them both off of the bluff hadn't worked. How could Will be sure that he would manage to do it this time? And did he even want to? As he watched Hannibal sleep, the only sign that he wasn't at one hundred percent the faint frown on his brow. Will shook his head, then left the room, pulling the door to behind him. He was tired, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. He was hungry, but he knew he wouldn't be able to eat. He sat down on the sofa in the living room and stared at the phone for a while, daring himself to lift up the receiver and call Molly. Or Jack. Or even Alana. He could just imagine himself dialling the familiar numbers and speaking, but what would he say? If he and Hannibal waited long enough, they would both be declared legally dead, especially if their bodies were never found. Molly would move on with her life. Alana would focus on her family. But what about Jack? He had no wife, no children. All he had was his job. Would he let the biggest catch of his life just escape like that? He'd had Hannibal Lecter for three years. Three whole years. And now he had nothing.   
Will couldn't help but smile at the thought, though he instantly hated himself for it. And Molly? She would be grieving. Walter too. Was it sick that the only things Will really cared about were his dogs?   
"Dammit."   
He sighed and pushed himself to his feet again. He had to do something, he couldn't just sit there. He set to work cleaning up, starting in the kitchen. Sure, it meant it gave him more freedom to think, but it also gave him the chance to ponder his and Hannibal's lives together. They would need to have a serious conversation about the way they were going to play it around outsiders. Not that they would mingle with the townsfolk all that much, but he, Will, would have to leave the cabin at some point. He couldn't stay cooped up there forever. He would, undoubtedly, finally, fall into insanity. And he didn't like the idea of that much.   
After cleaning the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of whisky before moving into the entryway, then the living room. He had just started on the bathroom when Hannibal emerged from his room, looking refreshed. His colour was a lot better, though it was obvious by the way he moved that he was still in pain. Some of his hair was sticking up, and he didn't seem to care. He shuffled into the bathroom, bumping the door into Will's back in the process.   
"Well, hello, Doctor. How're you feeling?"   
"Better."   
Hannibal gestured to the toilet and Will nodded, leaving the room. He washed his hands in the kitchen sink and was drying them when Hannibal entered, giving Will a smile.   
"Did you sleep well?"   
"I did indeed. Have you slept?"   
"Not yet. I've been busy."   
"Obviously so. The smell of cleaning products must have interrupted my dreams."   
"Sorry about that."   
"Don't be. I feel I have slept for long enough today. We should eat."   
"Probably a good idea."   
Will watched as Hannibal gathered various items. He was so used to seeing the man being more energetic, composed and dignified, so seeing him still looking half asleep, with tousled hair, wrinkled clothes and less than half of his usual sense of presence was strange. Understandable, of course, but strange. It was almost...refreshing.   
"What is it, Will?"   
"Huh?"   
Will must've been staring absent-mindedly, lost in his own thoughts, as when he focused, Hannibal was looking at him with another one of his wry smiles. Will straightened himself up and looked somewhere else.   
"I was just checking to make sure you were okay, that's all."   
"Oh, that's all?"   
"Yes."   
Hannibal turned and continued with what he was doing, though that smile never faltered.   
"There was an almost dream like expression on your face."   
"Yeah, well, I'm tired."   
"I don't doubt it."   
Will leaned against the counter behind Hannibal, folding his arms and pursing his lips slightly. He watched Hannibal work, cutting up vegetables. Every cut with the knife seemed graceful. Each movement of his shoulders, poetic.   
Will caught his mind drifting again and cleared his throat.   
"I'm going to lie down for a while."   
"Very well."   
Will ran a hand through his hair as he headed for the living room. The sofa was suddenly extremely inviting.   
He glanced back towards the kitchen before he settled himself down, and though Hannibal had his back to him, Will knew he was smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

Will woke up to a hand gently applying pressure to his shoulder, and he opened his eyes to find he was facing the back of the sofa. He turned and saw Hannibal smiling at him; he supposed he was going to have to get used to being greeted by Hannibal in the mornings.   
"Dinner's ready."   
Will nodded, then yawned and rubbed his face as Hannibal left the room. Will soon followed suit and wasn't exactly surprised by what he found. The small dining table had been set, complete with candles, glasses and a bottle of wine. Hannibal was still dishing up as Will took in the scene.   
"It's always the same with you, isn't it?"   
"Of course."   
Hannibal indicated that Will should sit, but he didn't. He took his plate from Hannibal's hand and sat himself down with it.   
"You should've let me help with this."   
"You needed to rest, Will."   
Will shook his head as Hannibal sat down; the man was obviously still in a lot of pain, he could tell by the way he moved. But he seemed to have mastered not expressing it while he had been asleep.   
"So do you."   
Will looked down at his plate, then up to Hannibal.   
"Peeling potatoes isn't exactly challenging, but it would be in your condition."   
"Well, the dish called for it. Shepherd's pie."   
"Made with real shepherd?"   
Hannibal chuckled.   
"No, Will. Just lamb."   
He poured them both some wine, then smiled across at Will.   
"I'm not nearly well enough to be sourcing my own meat yet."   
Will nodded, and they both slipped into silence as they ate. Though Will was more focused on staring at his plate as he thought, Hannibal kept watching Will. He took in all of Will's mannerisms, how his hands trembled slightly, probably due to fatigue. They had been alone countless times during the course of their relationship, but now? They were very much alone. There was nobody near them for miles. Nobody would know anything about what happened inside the cabin unless the two parties involved chose to divulge that information. Hannibal lifted his glass and drank, while still watching Will over the rim. It was, expectedly, he who broke the silence.   
"May I ask you some questions, Will?"   
Will simply nodded, drinking some of his own wine as he looked at Hannibal.   
"Did you mean for us to perish after we fell from the bluff?"   
Will's stomach somersaulted; was he glad that that was the question he opened with? What about before that? The way they had spoken to one another, held one another. There had definitely been something there. Was Hannibal deliberately choosing to side step it?   
"I suppose I did. I was surprised when I woke up lying next to you, I must admit."   
"I see."   
Another few moments of silence, in which Will watched Hannibal. Was that the answer he had been expecting?   
"Did you think about leaving me there when you went to find help?"   
"Part of me might have done. The bigger part of me won."   
"Evidently."   
"Is that what you wanted to hear?"   
"Perhaps."   
The two men locked eyes, neither of them moving until Hannibal raised his wine glass again. He drank the remaining contents in one, then set his empty glass back on the table.   
"You called me 'dear'. Was that intentional?"   
Will did a double take.   
"I did?"   
"Yes."   
Will tried to think about when he would have referred to Hannibal in such a way, but nothing came to mind. He slowly shook his head.   
"I don't remember doing so, so, no."   
Hannibal nodded. They fell silent again and Will refilled their glasses.   
"Did you think that I had left you? Did you think about calling Jack?"   
"Yes, and yes."   
Will didn't see any point in beating around the bush anymore.   
"I was actually more worried that anything had happened to you, but, yes; it did cross my mind that you might have left me. And all the while you were gone, I thought about calling a few people."   
"Did you?"   
"No."   
They looked at each other again. Will frowned slightly.   
"Are you asking me these questions as my friend, or my psychologist?"   
"Unfortunately, Will, I am asking as both of those."   
"I thought as much. Anything else?"   
"Dolarhyde."   
Will's stomach somersaulted again. He swallowed.   
"What about him?"   
"Did you enjoy it?"   
"Yes."   
Hannibal smiled and set down his knife and fork.   
"Was there anything else?"   
Will drained his wine glass.   
"Did you get the clothes I bought you?"   
"Wh-...they were for me?"   
"Of course. I would never wear red plaid."   
Will chuckled.   
"They're still in the bag. I wasn't sure who they were for, so I left them there."   
"Well, they're yours. I believe I got the sizes and style right."   
"I'm not nearly as complicated as you, style wise."   
"Certainly not."   
They both smiled at each other, then Will cleared the table. They spent the rest of the night in comfortable silence, sitting across from one another in the living room. Hannibal eventually excused himself and went to bed, leaving Will to sit alone for a while longer, with only his thoughts to accompany him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of fluff? Yeah, I think so.

Hannibal woke the next morning to some rather delightful smells from the kitchen, as well as some music. He sat up in bed and checked his stitches, knowing there would be very little, if any, difference from the day before, but doing it out of habit rather than anything else. He would definitely have to change his bandages again, though that could wait until after breakfast.   
He got out of bed, feeling much better than the night before. He was still sore and would need a few more weeks in which to full cooperate, but he was on the right track. He would have to have faith in Daisy's limited medical knowledge to get him through, at least until he could find a doctor he could trust. That wasn't himself, of course.   
He walked almost silently into the entryway, and stopped in the kitchen doorway, a grin lighting up his face. Will was so focused on cooking breakfast that he hadn't even noticed Hannibal yet. And the best part? He was singing along to the radio. Hannibal was sure he'd never heard Will sing before, though he was wondering why; he wasn't terrible. He leaned against the doorframe and watched for a few minutes before Will noticed he was there.   
"Good morning, Emilio."   
Hannibal chuckled and stepped into the kitchen.   
"Good morning, Will."   
"I hope you're hungry."   
"I am indeed. You're in a good mood."   
Will shrugged as he slid bacon and eggs onto plates.   
"It's a nice day."   
Hannibal looked out of the window; Will was quite right. The sun was shining, the trees were swaying gently in the breeze. It was probably the sort of scene that Will was most comfortable in seeing, and that was exactly why Hannibal had chosen the cabin as their place of residence. Short of returning to Will's home before Molly, the cabin was the perfect place for them to lie low for a while. Perhaps forever.   
"It would be a nice day to go fishing."   
"It would."   
Will took their plates to the table and sat down. Hannibal fetched them both a glass of orange juice before taking his seat opposite Will.   
"So, what's the plan for today, Doctor?"   
Hannibal thought about his answer for a few moments before replying.   
"My plan is to do as little as possible, for as long as possible. It pains me to say it, but I feel I may need to take it easy for a week or two. Just to give my injuries time to heal."   
"Understandable."   
"You're lucky in that you weren't shot."   
"He wasn't there to kill me."   
"Do you really think that, Will? He was there to remove both of us from the picture."   
"Perhaps. But he didn't succeed."   
"No, he didn't."   
Will actually looked rather pleased with himself, which, in turn, made Hannibal smile in a smug sort of way. They both recalled the events of that night, with extreme clarity. It made Hannibal almost itch with anticipation.   
"About that night..."   
"Yes, Will?"   
"After Dolarhyde...what were you thinking?"   
"Honestly? I was thinking about how much pain I was in."   
"I thought so."   
"And how beautiful you looked."   
Will was taken aback by Hannibal's statement. So much so that he dribbled orange juice down his front. Hannibal chuckled as Will cleaned himself up.   
"Beautiful?"   
"Yes. You looked exquisite in the moonlight. You even commented on the beauty of it yourself."   
"I don't...I don't really recall..."   
"I do."   
Hannibal's eyes locked onto Will's commanding him to maintain eye contact. Hannibal's usual vigour was in those eyes.   
"I remember every single aspect of that night in perfect clarity. My heart was racing as I watched you. The way you moved was like...poetry."   
Will gripped his napkin tightly, threatening to tear it in half.   
"You were true to yourself, Will, for one of the few times since I met you. You let yourself be who you were meant to be. Do you not remember me telling you that it was what I had always wanted for you?"   
"To be-…"   
"To be true to yourself, yes. True to who you were meant to be."   
Will swallowed hard. This was probably the longest he had ever looked at someone in his entire life.   
"You didn't hold back for even a moment. I don't think you thought about your actions before doing it. You were acting completely on instinct."   
Will breathed in deeply.   
"There was certainly something..."   
"Erotic?"   
Will ripped his napkin.   
"I...I wouldn't go that far."   
"I wanted you to kiss me, Will."   
"You did?"   
"Why didn't you?"   
Will set his napkin on the table top, forcing himself to look away from Hannibal and drink some more orange juice, just to stop himself from answering right away. Had he wanted to? Why hadn't he?   
He looked up at Hannibal again as he set his glass back down.   
"You remember more vividly now, do you not?"   
"I do."   
"You remember how we embraced on the edge of the bluff?"   
"Yes."   
"And?"   
Will swallowed and toyed with his napkin again.   
"I don't know why I didn't. There was a conflict of emotions going on."   
"I can respect that. Every other action of yours had lead up to that moment. You were, no doubt, overwhelmed by your becoming."   
"I didn't kiss you because I...I wasn't sure if I should or not."   
Hannibal nodded, setting down his cutlery.   
"But I wanted to."   
"Are you sure?"   
"Yes."   
"You weren't just thinking about ending our lives? You thought about showing your affections?"   
"Yes."   
"Are you reliving that night? Allowing yourself to return to the bluff, to feel everything again?"   
Will's chest was rising and falling rapidly, and he was holding his knife and fork so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Everything was still fresh in his mind, from how he felt getting into that police car, right up to when they fell from the bluff. The pain, the adrenaline, the excitement; it all came flooding back, and he was lost in the memories of it. He was so lost, in fact, that he didn't notice Hannibal rising from his chair and moving round the table.   
"Will..."   
Snapping out of his reverie, Will looked up at the perfect moment. His lips met Hannibal's.   
He was sure his heart was about to burst from his chest, and he was so surprised that he didn't react for a few moments. It was only when Hannibal pulled back with an air if disappointment that Will reacted. He dropped his cutlery; they landed on the floor with a clatter. He got to his feet as he pulled Hannibal back towards him, cupping his cheeks. He kissed Hannibal with passion, something that the other male returned just as eagerly. Hannibal gripped Will's sides, taking handfuls of his shirt, moving closer against him. Their tongues met, rubbing together with urgency, almost a hunger. It was only when Will's hands moved to Hannibal's shirt that the kiss was broken; Will seized a handful of Hannibal's shirt, a little too close to his injury, and Hannibal let out a groan and pulled back. When Will opened his mouth to apologise, Hannibal shushed him softly. Hannibal kept his grip on Will's shirt as they both breathed heavily. Will was trembling slightly.   
"That's...not quite how I pictured it."   
Hannibal smiled. He slowly let go of Will's shirt.   
"How did you picture it?"   
"I wasn't expecting that much...intensity from you."   
Will let his hands drop from Hannibal and he ran a hand through his own hair.   
"I'm not entirely sure where that came from."   
"I do."   
They locked eyes again; Hannibal was smiling, though Will looked somewhat lost. He picked up his knife and fork, then sat at the table again. Hannibal also sat, looking over at Will as though trying to analyse his emotions and thoughts.   
"What are you thinking, Will?"   
"I...I'm sorry about hurting you."   
It seemed that he didn't regret the kiss, which was a good sign. Hannibal was relieved and his curiosity of how far their relationship would go had piqued.   
"It wasn't intentional."   
"No. I guess I got a little...carried away."   
"I believe so."   
They both smiled again. Will finished his orange juice, then started clearing up. Hannibal watched him in silence. Their eyes locked a few more times before Will finished, and Hannibal was sure he could see something stirring behind them. Something else that Will had possibly been denying himself; to finally admit his true feelings for Hannibal Lecter.


	8. Chapter 8

"Will, I want to teach you how to cook."   
Will did a double take, looking up from the book he was reading, and frowned.   
"You want to teach me how to cook?"   
"Yes."   
"My cooking is just fine."   
"Exactly. Just fine. Just fine is not good enough, Will, and you deserve the best."   
"Where exactly is this coming from?"   
Will sat back in his chair, draping an arm over the back of the armchair, lowering the book.   
"It'll give me something to focus on while I'm healing, and it requires very little effort on my part."   
"Okay. Let's assume for a moment that I take you up on this offer. Where would you begin?"   
"Probably with the basics. Letting your sense of smell guide you in the produce you buy. How to prepare the meat. Proper seasoning."   
"And by meat, you mean...long pig?"   
"That will come later."   
"In that case, maybe I could teach you how to fish."   
Hannibal wrinkled his nose, making Will laugh.   
"It's the only way I'll accept, now that I think of it."   
Hannibal sighed lightly, then nodded.   
"Alright. I will teach you how to cook and you will teach me how to fish. Though we will need fishing equipment."   
"I'm sure we will be able to gather what we need."   
"Indeed."   
Hannibal watched Will for a few moments, and when he didn't immediately stand up, he spoke again.   
"Shall we?"   
"What, you want to start now?"   
"Why not? It's dinner time after all."   
Will let out a laugh, then closed his book.   
"Alright then."   
He set the book down on the sofa and followed Hannibal into the kitchen. It seemed he had been planning this for a while, and was probably what he had been doing the whole time Will had been reading. Everything they would possibly need was laid out on the work tops, and Hannibal had a rather smug air about him as he stepped behind one of the counters.   
"So, what are we having?"   
"Nothing too complicated. Lamb shank with pan roasted vegetables."   
"Nothing too complicated?"   
"Well, no."   
Hannibal looked at Will, an eyebrow raised.   
"I could go much easier if you'd like."   
"No, no, it's fine. It's terribly easy to cook lamb just right."   
"It is when you know how."   
Will chuckled, then stopped. Something occurred to him.   
"Wait a moment. Are you only offering me because breakfast this morning was atrocious?"   
"My dear, Will. Bacon and eggs aren't exactly a culinary masterpiece. I am simply offering so that I don't have to cook all of the time."   
"Oh, I see."   
"Shall we begin?"   
"Well, alright."   
Hannibal started by getting Will to flour and sear the lamb, directing him to make sure there wasn't too much flour, or that he left the lamb in the pan for too long. Will flicked flour at him.   
Hannibal prepared the vegetables for roasting while Will continued with the vegetables that were going in with the lamb. Hannibal also helped himself to a few mouthfuls of the wine that was being used as a cooking aid, so Will did as well. Hannibal sprinkled rosemary in Will's hair.   
By the time the lamb had been in the oven for an hour, Hannibal and Will had gotten through a bottle of wine each, and they were both rather happy about the mess they'd made. Hannibal didn't even seem to mind that he was covered in flour.   
"You certainly bring a flair to the kitchen, Will."   
"You can talk."   
Will shook the rosemary out of his hair, then sat down on the sofa. Hannibal sat on the other end, slowly swirling the wine in his glass. Neither of them seemed to be able to stop smiling.   
"That was fun."   
"I'm good at fun as well as fishing."   
Hannibal chuckled.   
"Apparently so."   
They both sat in silence for a few moments, though they were still smiling as they did so. Will desperately wanted to talk about the morning's incident, but he didn't know how to bring it up. Hannibal was also facing the same dilemma. He was quite used to just saying what was on his mind, when it called for it. But it had been such a heated and unexpected moment that it caught him off guard, even though he had planned for there to be a kiss in the first place. He'd been waiting for Will to push him back, refuse him again, or even to bring his knife up to his throat. But he hadn't. He had let his guard down completely and returned it. Was he playing his own game, or did he mean it?   
"I quite surprised myself."   
Hannibal turned his head back to Will.   
"When you asked if I was reliving the moment we killed Dolarhyde, I felt like I was there again. I could feel the air, the pain, the wetness of the blood on my face and hands. And then you. I could feel you holding me and me gripping your shirt and then..."   
Will looked at Hannibal.   
"And then you were just there."   
Hannibal swallowed. Will's words sounded like music to his ears.   
"I don't think I've ever kissed anyone like that."   
Sweet, sweet music.   
"I was glad to be on the receiving end of your affections for a change."   
"I bet you were."   
Will knew how Hannibal felt about him. He had discussed it with Bedelia; he had broached the subject with Jack, in a way, as well as Alana. He could feel it in the way Hannibal touched him, how he sometimes spoke to him. And the most obvious give away was how he looked at him. He hadn't always missed some of Hannibal's lingering glances, though most of them he had spotted out of the corner of his eye. There was something tender in how Hannibal looked at Will, just like the way he was looking at him as they sat there.   
"Do you love me, Hannibal?"   
Hannibal looked away from Will, then drank some wine.   
"That's a deeply personal question, Will."   
"Do you?"   
Hannibal looked back at Will. He took in Will's face, the eagerness in his countenance, the way his eyes took in all of Hannibal's face while he waited for the answer. Even the way he held his wine glass gave away how tense yet curious he was. Hannibal breathed in deeply, then pushed himself to his feet; the moment was over. Hannibal walked into the kitchen, presumably to check on the lamb, but in reality, he leaned against the counter, staring out of the window. Will stayed on the sofa, staring at the spot Hannibal had just vacated.


	9. Chapter 9

A few days became a week, and neither Will nor Hannibal brought up their kiss in that time. It was like they were both pretending that it hadn't happened, and they avoided topics of conversation which might have caused it to happen again. Hannibal had found a doctor he could trust to be discreet (who Will suspected might have been on the take, but, seeing as he wasn't working for the FBI anymore, he couldn't do anything about it), and he was given a thorough check up, followed by a clean bill of health. He had also been able to get antibiotics for them both, as well as a pair of glasses for Will. He'd allowed Will to drive into town, but on strict orders not to engage anybody in conversation, at least not for too long, and he had returned looking more relaxed about their situation. It seemed that nobody suspected who they were for a moment, and as long as they kept going about things he way they were, they wouldn't have to worry at all. They had both been keeping an eye on the newspapers, and the only mention of what happened on the bluff was that Francis Dolarhyde, aka 'The Tooth Fairy' had been killed. That was a tremendous relief to Will and Hannibal, though they were still on high alert as far as anything to do with them was concerned. Jack was probably trying to keep it out of the media, but it was only a matter of time before Freddie Lounds heard something.  
They had also both been trying to think of a new name for Will, but everything they had tried never really stuck. Hannibal seemed to be able to adapt to new names quite easily, but Will badly needed some practise. He had brought up the fact that they didn't need to worry about his first name anyway, as Will was quite a popular name. Hannibal had agreed, and they had discussed surnames instead. Hannibal had even claimed to have been joking when he suggest De Luca, and though Will went along with it, he sincerely doubted Hannibal had been joking at all.  
They were equally still somewhat tense around one another. On more than one occasion, whilst making dinner for example, they had both been guilty of taking a knife from the other, claiming to need it urgently for whatever they were preparing, despite the fact there were plenty of knives to choose from. In the end, after having the sharpest knife in the kitchen taken from him for the sixth time, Will spoke up about it.  
"Hannibal, honestly, I am not about to use it against you."  
Hannibal looked at the knife, then turned it so that the handle was facing Will.  
"My apologies."  
Will took the blade, looking at Hannibal as he took it. It would be so easy to do it as well; just one swift movement forwards, perhaps a twist and a pull. After all of the things he had done, it would be justice served in the best way Will knew. Hannibal was also weighing up his options; he would barely have to move to be able to dodge Will's attack and get a weapon for himself. He would certainly have the fresh meat he was craving, and his desire to kill Will would be fulfilled.  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome."  
They both continued to hold onto the knife, not looking at it, just staring at each other. There had been a few moments like that, where they had both been locked in one another's gaze, completely unsure of their own actions, never mind the actions of the man in front of them.  
Eventually, Hannibal's fingers slipped from the blade and he returned to work. Will turned as well, letting out a breath. There had definitely been a shift in their dynamic since the incident, and Will had been feeling things towards Hannibal that he had never expected. He had come to the conclusion that, yes, he _did_ love Hannibal Lecter. But was he _in love_ with him? Every trail of thought had scarily lead to a positive response to that question, and every time he came to that point in his thinking he had deliberately forced himself to think about something else.  
Hannibal hadn't fared any better. He kept remembering that moment Will asked if he loved him. He recalled in detail the look on Will's face, and he hated himself for not answering. But it hadn't been the right moment. They would both know when that moment arose, and that certainly hadn't been it. If his flat-out refusal had led to the tension in the cabin, then so be it. It would be all the sweeter once the tension was broken.  
During dinner they kept to sensible topics of conversation. Also known as boring and commonplace. Subjects such as the weather, how the fresh air seemed to be helping their recovery, how well Will's cooking skills were coming along. They avoided talking about their feelings, which greatly irritated Hannibal. He knew he had no right to psycho-analyse Will, but he couldn't resist the urge to. Even more frustrating was the fact that, on the odd occasion he tried, Will detected it straight away and shut the entire conversation down. He was a closed book to Hannibal, and he desperately wanted to open it.  
They would sit in the same room after dinner, perhaps engage in some kind of conversation, but they mostly read the books that Hannibal had left in the cabin. There weren't very many, and if they both grew bored of that activity, there was very little else to keep them occupied.  
As the week became a fortnight, they only saw each other during meal times, and Will soon found himself yearning for Hannibal's company. And he was sure it wasn't just because he was the only other human in a five-mile radius; he missed him. He missed the comments he would come out with, the way he smiled, even the way he carried himself. He took to just watching Hannibal's movements during dinner rather than taking part in the conversation.  
Eventually, they both reached their breaking point.  
One night after dinner, as Will turned to walk back into the living room, Hannibal gripped his wrist and held him.  
"Wait."  
Will turned towards Hannibal, who got up from the dining table, still holding Will's wrist.  
"We cannot live like this, Will. It's not healthy."  
"Then what can we do about it? It's clear we can't be apart, but we barely function when we're together."  
"That's not true. We were thriving together, at least for the first few days we were here."  
"Then what changed? Everything is still the same as it was before."  
"No. No, it isn't."  
Hannibal slowly released Will's wrist, then handed Will his empty wine glass before fetching a full bottle and taking his own glass.  
"We need to talk."  
He led the way into the living room, Will following nervously behind. When they were both seated and had their glasses refilled, Hannibal crossed his legs and turned his upper body towards Will. They had subconsciously taken to sitting on the sofa together whenever they happened to find themselves in the living room, something which Hannibal would probably point out indicated a more intimate aspect to their relationship. It would be a hypocrisy, of course considering that they barely spoke, but it was still true regardless.  
"Things have been...off...as of late. Wouldn't you agree?"  
"I would."  
"And I cannot help but feel it's probably entirely my fault."  
"How did you reach that conclusion?"  
Hannibal drank some wine.  
"That night you asked me if I loved you. I disregarded your question, at least externally. Though we continued for a few days as expected, we have since drifted and our relationship is currently strained."  
Will shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat. He was just as guilty as Hannibal was.  
"There is also the issue of the tension in regards to either of us holding something that can be used as a weapon. I trust in your words that you do not wish to cause me harm, and I would like to clarify that I, also, have no want nor will to inflict any kind of injury upon you."  
"That's a relief."  
"Has that been worrying you?"  
"Can you blame me? Give our past history, we've never really been able to resist wounding one another."  
Hannibal smiled and nodded.  
"That's true."  
"It's good to hear you actually admit that."  
"Would it also be satisfying to hear that I do love you, Will?"  
Will, who had been raising his glass to his lips, froze in his actions. He turned his gaze from the contents of his glass as he lowered it, then looked towards Hannibal.  
"You do?"  
"Yes. Very much so."  
Will swallowed.  
"How long have you known?"  
"To some extent, I have always known. I do not believe in love at first sight, but there was definitely a spark, for me at least, when we first met."  
Will drank some wine. The whole time they had known one another, Hannibal had been harbouring that feeling? Will couldn't conceive of it. Or could he? Though their relationship had been rocky to begin with, he had grown to trust and respect Hannibal...until he found out what he had done and had been doing, that was. But had he ever lost that respect? The trust had been returning since the incident. The respect? He supposed that had always been there.  
"Does this surprise you?"  
"Surprise me?!"  
Will laughed and got to his feet.  
"You just admitted that you've always...to a certain extent, anyway, always been in love with me! It's...it's a lot to take on board, Hannibal."  
Will drained his glass and set it down on the coffee-table. He licked his lips, an action that had Hannibal's eyes on him in an instant.  
"But, surely you've always known?"  
"Suspected, perhaps, but not known. I discussed it with Bedelia-…"  
"...as did I..."  
"...but to actually hear you say it out loud...it..."  
"It what? Makes it real?"  
"Yes."  
"Because it is real, Will."  
Will looked at Hannibal, his hands on his hips. He was sitting there looking so calm about the whole thing that it made Will want to smash his glass over his head.  
"And what about you? How do you feel in regards to myself?"  
Will swallowed hard; that was the question he had been dreading, though he knew it was only fair for Hannibal to know as well. He was conflicted, and rightly so, in how he felt about Hannibal.  
"Yes."  
"Yes, what, Will?"  
Hannibal set his glass down and got to his feet.  
"I need to hear you say it."  
Will watched Hannibal as the other male took a few steps towards him. He was jealous at how calm he looked, but that might have just been a façade. Will was sure he had started sweating. He couldn't really back down from answering the question, as things inside the cabin were close to becoming unbearable, and he had nowhere he could go. He knew he should be honest and just get it out in the open, but...Molly. He was still wearing his wedding ring, a constant reminder of the promise and commitment to her. She was most likely either grieving the loss of her husband, in denial of his death, or assisting Jack in whatever was she could in locating him. He was still in love with Molly, and he thought about her almost every night before he fell asleep. Except, there had been nights where he lay on the sofa _unable_ to sleep, and he didn't think about her then. He didn't think about Walter, or Jack, or Alana, or even his dogs. No; when he couldn't sleep, he thought about Hannibal. Hannibal, who was only a room away. Hannibal, who may or may not have been tossing and turning as well. Hannibal, who had kissed him and who had also just admitted his feelings for him. Hannibal, who was standing directly in front of him, only an inch or so between them. Staring at him, taking in his entire face, waiting for his reply.  
"I love you."  
The words tumbled from Will's lips completely freely. They hung in the air between them for a few moments, before Hannibal smiled. He raised a hand and ran his thumb over Will's bottom lip, as though trying to smear the words across them, to mark him in some way.  
"And there we go."  
Hannibal cupped Will's cheek as he leaned in to kiss him, and Will copied the action, bringing their lips together. Their kiss was completely different from the one they'd shared at the breakfast table; it was slow, tender. They tasted the wine on each other's lips. Will snaked his arms round Hannibal's waist, and Hannibal ran his free hand over Will's forearm, eventually settling on his elbow. Hannibal breathed in Will's scent, completely enamoured with it.  
Though the kiss started on slow, it soon picked up speed and became more passionate and desperate. The lack of contact with each other had been a contributing factor in it, but their confessions were the leading cause. Doubts and guilt were still present in Will's mind; however, he was easily able to push those thoughts down, deciding he would worry about it later. He even allowed Hannibal to walk him backwards towards the entryway as their kiss became more animated, but when Hannibal started unbuttoning Will's shirt, he was forced to pull back. Both of his hands were pressed flat against the other male's chest, and he sucked in his own bottom lip slightly as he shook his head. Will swallowed and took a moment to regain his composure before he looked at Hannibal.  
"I'm not ready for that yet."  
Hannibal nodded as he got his breath back.  
"I'm sorry."  
"Don't apologise."  
"But up until this point...?"  
Will smiled in response to Hannibal's question; he was uncharacteristically needful.  
"That's good."  
"Mmm..."  
They slowly let go of one another, and Hannibal even attempted to smooth some of Will's curls from the man's face; he failed. Will cleared his throat and looked down at his shirt, wondering if he should button it up again, but Hannibal spoke.  
"Could I suggest a compromise?"  
Will looked up at him.  
"What would you like to suggest?"  
"You sleep in the bedroom. With me. The sofa can't be doing your back any good."  
Hannibal swallowed. Will thought about the pros and cons of such an action, though the pros most definitely won.  
"You've got a point. Perhaps as a trial run?"  
"That would seem feasible."  
"Very well then."  
Hannibal grinned and nodded. He seemed flustered, and Will let out a light chuckle as the other male gathered their glasses and took them to the kitchen. He assumed they were going to bed.  
And he was correct. When Hannibal didn't immediately return from the kitchen, Will gathered his pillows from the living room and walked into the bedroom, where he found Hannibal fussing around the bed, which was already made. Will set his pillows down on the other side, then looked at Hannibal.  
"You seem excited, doctor."  
"I suppose I am."  
Hannibal gave himself a moment to gather himself, then disappeared to the bathroom to get ready for bed. While he was gone, Will took a few deep breaths and went over what had just happened. He could still feel Hannibal against him. Was getting into bed with the man really such a good idea?  
When Hannibal returned, Will went to the bathroom. He closed the door and stared at himself in the mirror for a few moments.  
Hannibal, on the other hand, was barely able to contain how he was feeling, which was a first for him as far as Will was concerned. He was usually completely at ease with his emotions regarding the other male, but that was then. He looked at the bed, now with two sets of pillows instead of one. Will would be lying in that bed. With him. Fully clothed but never-the-less, they were about to share their first night together. He smiled to himself as he climbed into bed, though he was able to dial it down a little before Will returned and flicked off the main lights, leaving only the lamps on.  
Will climbed into bed and sat up, just like Hannibal. They smiled at each other, Will feeling awkward while Hannibal was still just excited. Neither of them said a word until Will turned to Hannibal.  
"This is already better than the sofa."  
"I'm glad to hear it."  
"Though it's going to take some getting used to."  
"Understandably."  
Silence fell again, and they both settled down after Hannibal shut the lamps off. Though the room was dark, it wasn't dark enough that they couldn't see each other; they could make out one another's faces in the gloom, and Will wasn't exactly surprised to see Hannibal was still smiling.  
"Goodnight, Hannibal."  
"Goodnight, Will."  
Will closed his eyes, still aware that Hannibal was watching him. Surprisingly, however, it didn't take him long to fall asleep at all. As he drifted off, Hannibal studied his face almost hungrily, taking in every movement of his eyes behind his lids. He also watched Will's chest rising and falling, memorised the way his hair fell against the pillow, how relaxed he became the further into sleep he fell. Hannibal's last sight was Will's hand clutching Hannibal's pillow.


	10. Chapter 10

Will had gotten so used to sleeping alone on the sofa that when his hand brushed against something firm the next morning, he jerked awake. He blinked, then pulled his head back slightly as he focused, realising the thing he'd just brushed up against was Hannibal's back. He rubbed his face and sat up.  
"Morning, Will. Did you sleep well?"  
Will looked at Hannibal, who had rolled onto his back.  
"Yes, thank you. Did you?"  
"As always."  
Hannibal smiled, and Will couldn't help but return it. They remained in silence for about a minute before Will looked at the time.  
"I'm going to get in the shower."  
He climbed out of bed, not waiting for Hannibal's response, though he suspected the man was still smiling. Which he was. He had also pushed himself up into a sitting position, and when he was sure he could hear the shower running, he lifted Will's top pillow and pulled it onto his lap. He ran his fingertips over the still slightly warm surface, then plucked at the cover, bringing it up to his face. He inhaled Will's scent, settling back against his own pillows as though he was an addict getting a hit. Since Will no longer had access to that God-awful cologne, he had stopped wearing after shave altogether, and Hannibal couldn't have been happier about that fact. Letting out a satisfied groan, Hannibal lowered the pillow, letting his eyes close as he tilted his head back. He'd woken up a couple of times in the night to Will stirring, a frown on his brow, and each time it happened Hannibal rested a hand gently on Will's chest or shoulder, and Will calmed within seconds. He had then lain there in the dark, watching Will's sleeping face before falling back to sleep himself. Despite the disruptions, it was the best night's sleep Hannibal could remember having for a long time. He smoothed the cover of Will's pillow, then set it back on the bed before climbing out and fixing the covers. He gave Will's pillow one last, lingering stroke before he left the room to start on breakfast.  
Will, meanwhile, hadn't even gotten in the shower yet. He had pulled his t-shirt off only to send up a cloud of scent from it. A faint trace of Hannibal's scent had clung to the fabric, and he was rubbing his thumb over it as though trying to release it into the air. He had rolled a small section of his shirt between his fingers and brought it up to his nose, getting a slightly stronger smell of Hannibal. It was only when he heard the tell-tale noises of Hannibal in the kitchen that he finished getting undressed and got into the shower, giving his clothes one last, almost longing look before closing the shower door. He mentally chastised himself for doing something as peculiar as sniffing his own clothes, though if he'd known about Hannibal's actions, he would probably have been easier on himself. They'd spent one night in the same bed and he was already craving Hannibal's scent. What was wrong with him? People in love didn't do that sort of thing; that was reserved for infatuation, obsession. He had never done it with Molly's clothes, so what was so special about Hannibal? He shook his head as he started washing his hair, unable to fathom what his own mind was thinking of. 

Breakfast was a somewhat silent affair. They exchanged pleasantries before they started eating, but it seemed like neither of them really knew what to say. There was an awkwardness between them, though, thankfully, not in a negative way. Every time Will looked at Hannibal he was disguising a smile, and that, in turn, made Will smile as well. When they had finished eating and Hannibal cleared the table, Will found it in him to actually speak.  
"Is there anything you would like to do today?"  
Hannibal turned from the sink, his hands in the dishwater, then turned back again.  
"Hm. There isn't particularly a lot of activities we can choose from. Is there anything you would like to do?"  
"I wouldn't mind exploring the woods a little."  
Hannibal chuckled.  
"Of course. I'm surprised you haven't done it already."  
"So am I."  
"I will join you. Getting out of the cabin sounds rather pleasant."  
Will grinned, then stood up to help with the dishes. Once everything was washed, dried and put away, Hannibal got into the shower and when he was dressed, the two of them headed outside. It was a somewhat cold day, so they were very well wrapped up.  
For a while they walked in comfortable silence, taking in their surroundings. The leaves on the trees were an array of colours, and there was a pleasant crunch underfoot thanks to the trees that were already shedding. It was Hannibal who broke the silence, his voice slightly muffled by his scarf.  
"Have you considered getting another dog, Will?"  
Will, who was swinging a stick from side to side, looked at Hannibal.  
"It had crossed my mind."  
"Should we perhaps visit the local pound?"  
Will chuckled and threw the stick.  
"What's brought this on?"  
"Well, I know how much you favour dogs more than people. It would give your mind focus, taking care of it. We certainly wouldn't need an excuse to walk in these woods."  
"Would you like having a dog?"  
"Though I would much prefer a cat, I do have something of a soft spot for dogs."  
"I could just imagine you with a cat."  
It was Hannibal's turn to chuckle, and he nodded as he nudged Will's shoulder.  
"Yes, sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, a cat on my lap and a glass of wine in my hand."  
"At least we know you wouldn't eat it."  
Hannibal laughed as Will chuckled.  
"In all seriousness though, Will; if you would like a dog we could get one."  
"Together?"  
"Naturally."  
"Like an actual couple?"  
Hannibal swallowed.  
"Yes. Like a couple."  
Will let out a satisfied grunt and nodded. He was about to make another comment when he felt Hannibal slipping an arm around his, his hand working its way into Will's pocket. Though Will stiffened slightly, he didn't move away, or pull Hannibal's hand from his pocket. He swallowed hard when he felt Hannibal's fingers gently caressing his own.  
"Does this bother you?"  
"No."  
Perhaps Will spoke too quickly, as Hannibal's fingers stopped moving.  
"Ae you positive?"  
Will looked down at their arms, then across to Hannibal's face.  
"I was just a little surprised, that's all."  
Hannibal nodded and they continued walking, arm in arm, in silence.  
Will _was_ surprised; he had known that Hannibal was capable of gentle touches, caresses and tender moments when he wanted them, but the apparent length he was going to, to show Will that he was safe was startling. Hannibal wasn't a weak man, which meant he could take what he wanted whenever he felt like it, so being this vulnerable with Will was like he was trying to show that he was only human too, underneath all of the awful things he had done. Will eventually pulled Hannibal's hand out of his pocket and interlocked their fingers. It surprised even him, though Hannibal couldn't stop staring at their hands. When they found themselves back at the cabin, Hannibal brought Will's knuckles up his lips and kissed them gently before releasing the male's hand and walking inside. Will followed, smiling lightly. Things really were changing.


	11. Chapter 11

Another week passed and Hannibal stopped wrapping his wound with fresh bandages every day. He was healing quite nicely, and he was returning to his usual self, as was Will. He had much better use of his arm, and he could now smile without worrying about pulling on his stitches. They had taken longer and longer walks every other day and they eventually walked into town together, though they didn't stay together long. Will enjoyed his new-found freedom, and the first thing he did (with Hannibal's money burning a hole in his pocket) was ask about the closest spots to fish as he bought himself some new fishing gear. He met up with Hannibal with a broad smile on his face, and he triumphantly walked back to the cabin carrying his new toys, eager to test them out.   
Things inside the cabin were at an all-time high; there was a lot of laughter, lots of flirtatious glances and touches, and plenty of passionate kisses by the fireplace. But that was as far as things had gotten. Will was still unsure in how far he wanted things to go and how quickly, and he still had the odd few thoughts of guilt. He had abandoned his entire life, everything he had ever held dear, and was, essentially, hiding out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Despite that, he as happy. Whenever he thought too hard about the life he had left behind and the morality he once had, he looked at Hannibal and remembered everything they had been through together. All the games of cat and mouse they had played. All the denied emotions and wants. They were finally able to be free from all of that worry and misery, and just life their lives as they saw fit.   
With one small exception.   
Will knew that, while Hannibal enjoyed the taste of lamb, beef and pork, there was always an unsatisfied hunger lurking in his eyes. On several occasions, Will had pulled back from a particularly violent kiss because Hannibal had bit his bottom lip just that smidge too hard. The coppery taste of his own blood on his tongue had alarmed him the first time, partly because of how much he had liked it. Watching Hannibal flick his own tongue out to taste Will's blood had also made Will's heart race, due to fear more than anything else, at least the first time. Though Will still wasn't really used to the sharp pain that came with Hannibal's teeth, he had never told the other male not to do it. He had even looked forwards to it, and there was one instance where he didn't break the kiss until a little while afterwards, savouring that metallic taste. 

There was only one thing that could take Will and Hannibal's elation to an all-time high, and it happened when they had been at the cabin for an entire month.   
Will went into town that morning with every intention of going to the local shelter, but he was distracted by a familiar face on the front cover of a magazine. For a moment his heart stopped; he and Hannibal had been to the town more and more as they grew sure that nothing would happen to them, and though they were careful never to show their full faces, there was always that insecurity that someone would recognise them. And it seemed that day had come.   
He stood stock still, staring at Hannibal's face in that demeaning mask they had made him wear. Everything seemed to get much louder, and he didn't notice the people looking at him as they passed, but he did notice the beads of sweat that started rolling down his face. He hastily threw some money at the vendor, snatching up a magazine and hurrying back out of town. It was only when he felt he was alone that he broke into a sprint, clutching the magazine tightly in his hand. As he rounded the corner to the cabin, he skidded to a halt and almost fell over. No...no, he was hallucinating, surely. He couldn't be seeing...   
...the stag. Standing at the bottom of the porch steps, facing him, the fur between its ears being stroked over gently by...   
"Will?"   
Will let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding. Hannibal stood up from the porch, wrapped in a blanket, clutching a cup of tea. He had a look of concern on his face, and Will momentarily couldn't understand why. He swallowed hard, sure he had just seen...   
"Will...what is it?"   
The magazine. Will looked down at it; Hannibal's eyes followed. Shaking slightly, Will closed the gap between himself and Hannibal, unrolling the magazine as he went. Hannibal didn't seem surprised at all to see his face staring back up at him, though the slight curl to his lip showed his true feelings towards that mask.   
"Ah, Tattle Crime...wherever did you get this?"   
"Town."   
Hannibal handed Will his mug as he held the magazine in front of him and read the title.   
"'The Chesapeake Ripper presumed dead'. Hm...skip to page three for the full story...well...this is...certainly news I've been waiting for Freddie Lounds to report on."   
"Hannibal..."   
"I wonder if Jack finally relented and gave some information to the press."   
"Hannibal..."   
Hannibal opened the magazine and began reading, but Will snatched it back.   
"Hannibal! Your face is on the front cover!"   
"And this concerns you."   
"Obviously! It should concern you!"   
"Will, Tattle Crime is not exactly a popular magazine."   
"This isn't a big town!"   
"I think you're over-reacting."   
Hannibal took his tea back from Will and walked up the porch steps. Will hurried after him, closing the cabin door behind them after they entered.   
"Even if people don't buy it, they're going to see it! They're going to see your face and realise they've seen you in their local grocery store!"   
"Will, that had probably been happening since our escape. If, that is, it made it to the press in the first place."   
"I knew we should have been keeping an eye on the papers..."   
"Whatever for? To add to your stress levels? To end up living like hermits afraid of our own shadow?"   
"We're still too close to Baltimore. If they find us..."   
"I am dead, Will."   
Hannibal gestured to the magazine.   
"I'm sure there will be a small mention in there about you as well."   
Will hadn't thought of that, though as soon as Hannibal said it he opened the magazine and scan read the article. He _was_ mentioned, but in the very last paragraph, which was extremely unlike Freddie Lounds.   
"Jack must've...pressured her."   
"Of course, he did. What does it say about you?"   
"Presumed dead."   
"Good. Then why are you worrying?"   
Raising his mug to his lips again, Hannibal took back the magazine. He walked into the living room and casually tossed it into the fireplace, ready for it to be burned later that day. He set his mug down, then folded the blanket up and lay it over the arm of the closest chair before walking to Will and putting his hands on his upper arms.   
"Will, please, calm yourself. We are safe here. Everyone in the country knows my face, as well as my name, and nobody has suspected a thing in this town. I am sure people would recognise you just as easily, and yet, here we are. You must have faith, Will, that we are not in any imminent danger."   
Will swallowed, still trying to get his breath back. Hannibal gave his arms a squeeze as though trying to bring him to his senses. He soon calmed, however, thinking over what Hannibal said. He was right, right? If anybody in the town had suspected their true identities, they would have called the FBI and they would both have been incarcerated. Most likely in separate facilities, just to spite them that little bit more. He let out a breath and closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.   
"You're right."   
Hannibal smiled and Will, as usual, couldn't resist returning it.   
"Did you make it to the shelter?"   
Will's smile faltered.   
"Oh...no. I saw that magazine and panicked. In the middle of the street."   
He let out an embarrassed laugh and dropped his gaze while Hannibal just looked concerned.   
"And then I ran all the way back here and-…"   
Saw the Stag. And the Wendigo. He looked back up at Hannibal again.   
"...and I saw you just sitting there."   
"I was eager for your return. Perhaps we should both go to the shelter. We could pick out a dog together."   
"Or just let one pick us. That's what I normally do."   
"Very well. We'll do that. Would you like some tea?"   
"Yes, please."   
Hannibal smiled and took his mug into the kitchen. Will shrugged off his jacket and hung it up in the entryway, then kicked off his shoes. He rested his palm against the front door; did he tell Hannibal about what he saw, or just keep it to himself? It had been so long since he had last seen the Stag that he had almost forgotten all about it. As for the manifestation of Hannibal Lecter...he had only seen that when he had been under Hannibal's control. So, seeing them together? What did that symbolise? Was he trapped with Hannibal rather than living with him? Had his actions meant there really was no escaping one another? Was he Hannibal's play thing once again?   
"Will?"   
Will turned; Hannibal was holding a tray set for tea.   
"What's the matter?"   
"Still getting my breath back I suppose."   
Hannibal chuckled and walked through the entryway and into the living room. Will took a deep breath and followed.   
Where did he actually stand in their relationship, and would he ever find out?


	12. Chapter 12

There was another snag in the works that came shortly after the magazine incident, and it came in the form of a young woman Hannibal met at the supermarket.   
He had gone about his usual business in town before loading up the jeep and heading to the store to pick up a few more groceries. He was slightly more relaxed about covering his face than he usually was, but he had always been sly and nobody really noticed him. Even the checkout clerks would have had difficulty in describing him, though they were the ones he had always spoken the most to. It was probably this action that got him the attention in the first place, but he had never questioned it.   
He was in the meat aisle, looking over the beef with a slight furrow on his brow, when he detected a light and fresh scent closing in. It was a feminine smell; delicate and alluring. He turned his head slightly to find the source of the smell and was pleasantly surprised to see a somewhat familiar face smiling at him. She had the same pale skin and long brown hair. She even dressed the same, though Hannibal could tell just by looking at her that she wouldn't be anywhere near the same intellectually. Not to say he believed the woman would be stupid or simple, but Alana Bloom was a psychologist after all.   
"Hello."   
"Hello."   
Her voice was light and captivating, much like her smile, which Hannibal of course returned.   
"I've seen you around a few times, haven't I?"   
"Most likely."   
She was clutching her basket with both hands, and they were as lovely as her face. Her shopping choice was a little bare; just the basics and a few essentials. Perhaps she noticed him looking as she looked down as well and let out a chuckle.   
"I only really came out to get some air. I always find myself in here, just looking around."   
She glanced at Hannibal's basket, then focused on it. She wrinkled her nose and let out another chuckle.   
"Oh dear. You shop like my ex-husband."   
Hannibal was surprised to hear that she had been married, but he was elated to know she wasn't any longer.   
"He was a terrible cook."   
She let out another one of those chuckles and looked away, which was good; the look that Hannibal gave her would have curdled milk. Thankfully, it passed in a matter of moments. Unluckily for her, those few simple words had also sealed her fate.   
"Then perhaps I could prepare you dinner one evening so you can see that I am a far better cook than he was."   
"That's a little forward of you, don't you think? I don't even know your name."   
"Forgive me. I am Emilio De Luca. And you?"   
Hannibal held out his hand, which she took.   
"Scarlett Key."   
"A pleasure, Ms Key."   
Her handshake was firm, and when Hannibal released her palm she held her basket again, giving Hannibal a glance at her wrists. He smiled at her again.   
"So, if you are going to make me dinner, perhaps I should know where you live?"   
"Or I could surprise you? I could pick you up outside this very building at 6 o'clock in two days' time?"   
"My, my! You are _quite_ forward!"   
Scarlett chuckled, then seemed to think about the offer.   
"Very well. 6 o'clock in two days' time it is. You play an interesting game, Mister De Luca."   
_Oh, my dear, you have no idea._ Hannibal smiled and nodded.   
"I look forward to seeing you again."   
"And you."   
Scarlett took a joint of beef from the shelf, then smiled before she walked away. Hannibal watched her go, and it was good that she didn't turn around or look back; he was watching her in very much the same way a wolf would watch its prey. He finished collecting what he wanted and headed home.


	13. Chapter 13

Hannibal didn't tell Will about their intended dinner guest until the next morning. He was sat at the table as Will cooked for them, and it was when Will looked the happiest that he decided to say something.   
"I met a woman at the supermarket last night."   
"Oh, did you now?"   
"Yes. I invited her to dinner tomorrow night."   
Will almost dropped the frying pan. He all but slammed it back down on the stove and turned to face Hannibal.   
"I beg your pardon?"   
"I invited her to dinner tomo-…"   
"No, I heard you perfectly fine. What are you doing, inviting people here?"   
"I figured I was being polite and attempting to make a friend."   
"You _invited_ a _stranger_ to our _house_ when we're _supposed_ to be _dead!_ "   
Hannibal stared at Will for about ten seconds in silence before he responded.   
"You are upset."   
"You're damn right I'm upset!"   
"I don't understand why."   
Even though Hannibal knew perfectly well why Will was reacting the way he was; he was feeding from it.   
"Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham! That's who we are! Or should I get used to calling you Emilio De Luca?"   
Will spat the words with venom; so much so that Hannibal got out of his chair. Will walked to the fridge and got out the orange juice. He unscrewed the cap and drank from the carton.   
"Please don't do that. You know how much I hate it when you do that."   
"What, this?"   
Will looked directly at Hannibal as he drank from the carton again.   
"Or, maybe this?"   
He took a bigger gulp the third time around, throwing the carton back, filling his mouth. He slammed the carton on the side as he swallowed.   
"You're acting like a petulant child."   
"Oh, shut up, Hannibal."   
And Hannibal did. More out of shock than anything else. The silence that came over the kitchen was filled with tension, and Will looked furious.   
"I'm not cancelling, Will. Scarlett Key is coming to dinner whether you like it or not."   
"Fine. Fine! But I won't have any part of it."   
Will stalked out of the kitchen.   
"And cook your own damn breakfast!"   
He called back as he wrenched open the front door. It slammed shut behind him. Hannibal let out a heavy sigh, though he was grinning to himself. 

-/- 

When it came to the next evening, Will hid himself in the bedroom hours before Hannibal was due to pick up Scarlett. He had refused to speak to Hannibal since their spat in the kitchen, and while Will seemed quite happy to sit and sulk like a toddler, Hannibal found it exasperating. Every time he had needed to go into the bedroom since Will sought refuge in there, he had been subjected to nasty comments and bitter side glances. When he closed the door before he was due to leave, he actually considered praying for Will to behave during dinner. He took the other's threat as true that he would have nothing to do with the dinner itself, but there was no telling what Will was really thinking. Hannibal would just have to be on guard, ready to make up whatever story he would need to.   
He announced to Will that he was heading out and wouldn't be long, but he didn't get a reply. Not that he had been expecting one. Will had ignored him for the last hour and he sort of hoped that behaviour would continue for the rest of the night.   
At 6 o'clock on the dot, Hannibal pulled up in front of the supermarket, and there was Scarlett looking resplendent in a red dress and matching shoes. Her hair was tied in a plait that hung over her shoulder, and she beamed when she spotted Hannibal. She climbed into the jeep and Hannibal drove back to the cabin.   
"Oh, wow! How cute! I had no idea this was even here!"   
Hannibal chuckled at Scarlett's words. _That's the entire point,_ he thought. When he cut off the engine he glanced towards the front door before getting out of the car, half expecting Will to come out and throw something at him. He didn't have to worry, as he was able to open the passenger side door and escort his guest into the house without incident.   
She made another comment on how cute the cabin was, and if Hannibal hadn't had plans for dinner he would have made it her on the spot. He took her coat and hung it on the rack, then took her into the kitchen. He pulled out her chair at the dining table before serving their meal. He hadn't gone all out like he usually would, but the food he had prepared would certainly prove to Scarlett that he was a far better chef than her husband had been.   
"Filet mignon with a rich balsamic glaze, served with steamed asparagus and roasted potatoes."   
"It looks delicious."   
Hannibal poured them both a glass of wine, and Scarlett toasted to their meal. He knew the first mouthful of meat would have melted in her mouth, and the sound of appreciation she let out confirmed this.   
"It tastes even better!"   
"I told you I was a good cook."   
"You're a fantastic cook!"   
Hannibal smiled as he started eating, unable to think about anything else other than how much more he would enjoy the meat if it was Scarlett that he was eating.   
"Have you lived in the area for long, Emilio?"   
"Only for about a month. What about you?"   
"About the same. I decided to get as far away from my ex as I possibly could. I discovered this place online and...well, I suppose the rest is history."   
"I suppose it is."   
Hannibal smiled and drank some wine.   
"I found an apartment just on the outskirts of town. It's quiet around there, especially at night, but nothing compared to this. I'd imagine deer just walk right up to your door!"   
"They do indeed."   
Hannibal hadn't seen hide nor hair of a deer since they had arrived.   
"Do you have any family?"   
Scarlett drank some of her own wine as Hannibal replied.   
"No. I left my family home when I was a much younger man. I survived my parents and my sister."   
"I'm sorry."   
"Don't be. It's ancient history now. I learned to accept it a long time ago."   
"I'm sort of the same. My father left when I was three and my mother died when I was in my teens. I never had any brothers or sisters and I never saw anything of my family after."   
"That's a shame."   
"It is what it is. I never needed anything from them anyway. I am perfectly able to take care of myself."   
"I bet you are."   
Scarlett chuckled and drank some more wine. Hannibal noted that her cheeks were already slightly flushed. She was either unused to drinking wine, or interested in Hannibal. Either one worked for him.   
"Where did you learn to cook?"   
"I am mostly self-taught, though I have lived all over and I picked up many skills from many places."   
"Sounds wonderful, all that travelling."   
"It was. I have learned a great many things, and made a great many friends."   
It was at that precise moment that Will chose to interrupt the evening. He appeared all of a sudden at the kitchen doorway, something that Scarlett felt the need to gasp at. Hannibal, of course, already knew he was coming.   
"Will."   
He didn't turn from his chair; instead he continued eating.   
"I didn't think you would be joining us."   
"I'm not."   
Will didn't look at Scarlett as he crossed the room, helping himself to a couple of the remaining potatoes as he went. He selected a bottle of wine from the rack, then left the room as he unscrewed it. Hannibal pursed his lips slightly, then drank some more wine.   
"Who is that?"   
Scarlett's voice was almost a whisper, as though she had just witnessed something she shouldn't have.   
"A dear friend of mine. Poor fellow is going through a divorce."   
There was a noise of derision from the entryway, shortly followed by a door slamming.   
"Oh, dear. I see he's at the hating all women phase."   
"It would seem so. Let's not allow him to ruin our meal."   
Hannibal smiled and managed to save the situation, and he remained pleasant until he dropped Scarlett off outside her apartment. She had insisted on telling him where she lived, and she touched his arm before she got out of the jeep, thanking him for a wonderful evening and a fantastic meal. Once she had disappeared inside, Hannibal's smile disappeared and he headed home quickly.   
"Will!"   
He called, shrugging off his coat, closing the front door with his shoe. When Will didn't immediately respond, he removed his shoes and marched straight to the bedroom.   
"That was rude of you, Will."   
"She was your guest, not mine."   
Will drank deeply from the bottle he was holding; it was quite possibly his third. Hannibal winced at the action, and Will scoffed.   
"That was still rude of you. I had had hopes that she would be able to befriend the both of us."   
Will groaned and grabbed his pillows, dragging them off the bed. He then walked past Hannibal and into the living room. He threw his pillows on the sofa, then sat down heavily.   
"What are you doing?"   
Hannibal had followed, and he watched Will drink from the bottle again, greatly wishing to knock the bottle from his mouth.   
"I'm going to bed."   
Will tugged the blanket from off the back of the sofa and curl up under it.   
"Is that it, then? We're not even going to talk about this?"   
Will didn't respond. He drank some more wine and pulled the blanket up over his head. Hannibal pursed his lips, gave Will a few moments in which to actually speak, before he shook his head.   
"Goodnight, then, Will."   
Again, Will didn't respond. Instead of waiting for anything from the other male, Hannibal turned and walked back into the bedroom. The absence of Will's pillows was the first thing that Hannibal noticed, and he let out a heavy sigh before getting ready for bed.


	14. Chapter 14

Will woke up the next morning with a groan. He had a splitting headache, and at some point in the night he had managed to tip wine all over his pillow. His hair was a sticky mess on one side, and he pushed himself into a sitting position, barely able to focus on anything.   
"You're finally awake."   
Hannibal was sitting on one of the armchairs, his fingers steepled, legs crossed. Will turned to him and groaned again, then rubbed his eyes. Hannibal shifted forwards and poured Will some coffee.   
"Hannibal..."   
"Yes, Will?"   
"I'm sorry about last night."   
Hannibal stopped pouring for a moment and looked at Will before continuing.   
"Apology accepted."   
"Just like that?"   
Will ran a hand into his hair, regretting it instantly. He got his fingers tangled in his curls and, as a result, ended up with a sticky palm. He groaned again, dropping his hand down.   
"Of course."   
"I over-reacted."   
"Just a little."   
"She seemed nice."   
"She is. She's lovely."   
"She looked like-…"   
"I know."   
Hannibal smirked. Will lifted his mug and took a sip; he instantly felt a bit better as the warmth spread across his fingers and through his stomach. He sighed.   
"Is it on purpose that you invited her here?"   
"Perhaps. We shall have to wait and see."   
Will sat clutching his coffee, watching Hannibal bite into some toast. There were only a handful of reasons why Hannibal would select a woman who looked so much like Alana to befriend, but he could only focus on the main one. He could feel jealousy coursing through his veins, remembering that Hannibal and Doctor Bloom had had a physical relationship for a while. Was that what he wanted? Could he not wait for Will anymore?   
Will lowered the coffee mug to the table and took some toast, nibbling on it tentatively. If that was it then...he would have to re-evaluate a few of his choices.   
They each finished another slice of toast in silence before Will turned, sitting on the sofa rather than lounging on it.   
"Are you going to see her again?"   
"Yes."   
"Okay."   
Will nodded and held his coffee again. He took a deep breath and looked at Hannibal.   
"I suppose I'd better get to know her too?"   
"You don't have to. If you do not wish to befriend her, it's entirely your choice."   
"If it's important to you, then I should take it seriously."   
Hannibal smiled.   
"Thank you, Will. It means a lot to me to hear that."   
Will nodded again and stood up. He drained his mug and set it back down.   
"I'd better get myself cleaned up."   
He gave Hannibal a quick smile before gathering everything he needed for a shower. While he was in the bedroom fetching fresh clothes, he felt a pang of guilt when he looked at the bed. Hannibal's side was straightened out, but his was still a wrinkled mess, like Hannibal hadn't touched it at all. He sighed and shook his head, then went to the bathroom.   
Hannibal remained in the living room, eating more toast. He was planning out his next few meetings with Scarlett, wondering if he would be able to convince Will to take part in at least one of them. He would like to see how they worked together, how their personalities matched. He knew that her looking like Alana was important to the both of them, or he wouldn't have been as polite to her. He popped the last piece of toast in his mouth before cleaning up; he had a lot of work to do. 

Hannibal met Scarlett for lunch on two separate occasions, sitting either in the local café or in her apartment. When he returned back to the cabin both times he filled Will in on the quality of the food rather than the conversation, which Will was grateful for. He didn't want or need to hear about how wonderful this woman was. It would only provoke his envy that little bit more.   
When Hannibal returned from seeing this woman, Will had noticed the fire in his eyes and the flush of his cheeks, and it had made him feel physically sick. He was so caught up in his own emotions that he didn't recognise that the fire was hunger, eagerness and expectations. He missed all the little clues that Hannibal was giving as far as his intentions towards Scarlett, and as Hannibal planned his own actions, Will was plotting something of his own. Little did he know that Hannibal was anticipating Will's anger as well.   
It all came to a head when Hannibal invited Scarlett over for dinner again, and she showed up at least an hour before Hannibal was due to pick her up, pink faced and, worst of all, chatty.   
It was Will that answered the knock. His mood was already pretty low, so to open the door to find someone he considered an enemy standing there, smiling and looking exceptionally attractive, that he felt all of his annoyance coiling in his stomach, like a dozen restless snakes.   
"Evening, Will."   
"Scarlett."   
He stepped back from the door, clenching his teeth together. She entered, bringing her delicate scent with her and Will found himself hating her more and more. He closed the door as she hung up her own coat, and with a stab of rage, he followed her into the kitchen. Hannibal looked just as surprised to see her as Will did.   
"Ms Key! This is rather presumptuous of you, turning up so early."   
"I couldn't wait anymore. I've been waiting to eat more of your wonderful food so patiently up until now."   
"You're going to have to wait a bit longer, I'm afraid. Food is not quite ready yet."   
Scarlett's face fell, but her smile returned quite easily when she realised what an opportunity she had. She could help Hannibal prepare their meal, drink a couple more glasses of wine and maybe get to know Will a little better. He hadn't left the room again yet, so she took that as a good sign.   
"How are you, Will?"   
"Fine."   
"How's the divorce going?"   
Will had to bite his tongue so he didn't swear at her. He managed to turn his grimace of dislike into a grimace of despair.   
"Not very well. She wants to take everything from me."   
Hannibal shot Will a look, but otherwise said nothing.   
"That's awful!"   
"Yes, it is."   
Will opened a bottle of wine and poured himself a glass, then figured he should at least try to be polite and poured two more as well. Scarlett lifted hers with a smile and took a sip. Will gulped half of his down in one.   
"Well, you just keep fighting her."   
"I plan to."   
Hannibal smirked as he seasoned the potatoes. He remained silent for a few more minutes as Will and Scarlett exchanged the odd strained sentence, then announced he had to go out.   
"What?"   
Will looked downright horrified at the thought of being left alone with Scarlett, and he stepped close to Hannibal with an imploring look in his eyes.   
"Why?"   
"I appear to have forgotten a few things that we need for tonight's dinner. I won't be long."   
He washed and dried his hands, took a mouthful of wine, then walked out into the entryway; Will followed like a lost dog.   
"You can't leave me here with her, Ha-...Emilio..."   
"I can, and I am going to."   
Hannibal pulled on his coat and took the keys to the jeep. Will still pleaded with him silently.   
"Will, trust me, everything will be fine."   
He gave Will a reassuring smile before leaving the cabin. Will stared at the front door as it closed with a sense of panic washing over him.   
"Well! I guess it's just us for a little while, then."   
Will forced a smile onto his face before he turned.   
"It certainly looks that way."   
"Good. Maybe we can talk?"   
"O...okay..."   
Scarlett stood in the kitchen doorway and sipped some more wine, then looked around the entryway; her heels clacked gently on the wooden floor as she took measured steps.   
"It really is a lovely cabin."   
"Yes."   
"So homey."   
"Very."   
Scarlett looked Will over, not really noticing how tightly he was holding his wine glass, or how tense he was. She especially didn't notice the way he was looking at her, which was good. The only person capable of such a look normally had just left.   
"If you don't mind my asking...how do you know, Emilio?"   
Will swallowed, then tried to make his response light, and not dripping with hatred for the woman.   
"We worked together for a while. When things went south he was the only one who stood up for me."   
This was partially true, though Scarlett didn't need to know the ins and outs of the whole thing. She certainly didn't need to know who they really were.   
"He's such a wonderful man. I can see why he's letting you stay here."   
Will wasn't sure where she was taking this, but he didn't have to wonder for too long.   
"Is there anywhere else you can go?"   
"Not really, no."   
"Oh."   
Scarlett drank some more wine and stopped in the entryway, looking into the living room.   
"Why do you ask?"   
Will moved away from the door, towards the kitchen; he needed more wine.   
"Well..."   
Scarlett let out a light laugh.   
"...this is embarrassing..."   
"What?"   
Will stopped and looked at the woman. She was acting like a love-struck teenager.   
"Well...I was sort of hoping that tonight, would be...something special...do you understand?"   
Oh, Will understood alright. He understood plenty. The anger that he had been desperately trying to hold at bay since she arrived was now threatening to boil over.   
"I mean, obviously I don't want to assume that something will happen, but if it does it might be a little awkward with you just in the next room."   
Will broke the stem of the wine glass he was holding. He only realised when he felt it stabbing into his palm, and he opened his hand slowly. A few drops of blood fell from his hand and hit the floor. He stepped into the kitchen and set the broken pieces in the sink, then clenched his fist. He heard the front door open and felt a gust of cold war pass through the house; hopefully Hannibal was back. He walked out of the kitchen to find it was only Scarlett, standing on the porch. From her actions Will assumed she was lighting up a cigarette. He watched her few a few moments, silhouetted in the doorway. His vision blurred slightly and he swallowed, scanning the entryway. It was no good; she had to go. He couldn't tolerate it anymore. He couldn't have her meddling in his and Hannibal's lives. And he sure as hell couldn't stand hearing her saying Emilio with that fake Italian twist to her voice.   
His eyes landed on something just under the coat rack that he had never noticed before. It brought back all kinds of memories and Will couldn't believe that it was even there.   
It was the elk statue from Hannibal's office. Will stared at it, wondering when Hannibal had moved it there. He walked towards it and picked it up, loving how heavy it felt. He held it tightly and started towards Scarlett. She was too busy taking in the view, possibly revelling in her victory at telling Will he needed to leave, and smoking her cigarette to notice that Will was behind her until it was too late. She turned just as he raised the elk above his head, and brought it down upon hers before she could say or do anything.   
She fell onto the porch with a heavy thud. Her wine glass shattered and her cigarette bounced out of her fingers and rolled across the wood. It took a moment or two but she managed to focus on Will standing above her. She let out an incoherent cry and Will hit her again. He was panting heavily by that point, both because of the weight of the elk but also because of the adrenaline that was coursing through him. Scarlett stirred again, though it was a feeble attempt; Will hit her again. He fell onto his knees over her and hit her three more times before dropping the elk. He was covered in blood, much like the porch was. He looked up to see the Stag watching him. They locked eyes for a moment before the creature turned and trotted down the road.   
Breathing heavily, Will looked down at the mess that was once Scarlett Key's face. There had been a few seconds after he'd hit her the first time that he was sure it was actually Alana Bloom, and that had spurred him on just that little bit more. It took perhaps a few minutes for Will to realise what he had done, and it was then that Hannibal returned. Will looked up when he heard the sound of the engine and got to his feet. He was breathing so hard he was sure he was about to pass out, and his entire body was shaking with the effort of what he had done. Hannibal climbed out of the jeep clutching a couple bags and took in the scene.   
Will, covered in blood from the chest up, his face mingled with shock and fear. Scarlett's head nothing but a red mass against the darkness of the wood. His elf statue on its back, glistening in the fading light, drops of blood still slowly falling from it.   
He looked back at Will before starting up the porch steps, avoiding stepping in as much of the gore as he could. Will actually stepped away from him, perhaps sensing the wrong emotion from Hannibal.   
"Hannibal, I-...I don't know what...it just...I-…"   
"Shh, my dear, Will."   
Hannibal set his bags down and cupped Will's face, tenderly stroking the other's cheeks with his thumbs.   
"I...I killed her..."   
"Yes, you did. You couldn't have waited for me to return?"   
"What?"   
Will looked from Scarlett to Hannibal with a quizzical expression on his face. Hannibal laughed softly.   
"I had absolutely no intention of letting her return home tonight, Will. Or any night, for that matter. Did it not seem strange to you that I had not prepared any meat for our dinner tonight?"   
As Will thought about it, he did realise that Hannibal hadn't even seasoned any meat to go in the oven, which was usually the first thing he did.   
"I left because I needed a fresh scalpel. I stayed out a little longer than I intended for a reason, Will."   
"You...you wanted me to kill her?"   
"Oh, no, Will. I thoroughly intended for us to kill her together. I left you alone with her in the hopes that you would see in her what I saw."   
He turned to Scarlett's body, resting a hand on Will's lower back.   
"The next step to your becoming, Will."   
Will was still trembling as he looked at Scarlett's body, but he didn't look at it for long. He turned his head to look at Hannibal as tears cut through the blood on his cheeks.   
"I'm sorry, Hannibal."   
"Oh, Will..."   
Hannibal pulled Will against him, and Will gripped Hannibal's coat tightly as he buried his face in the man's shoulder.   
"There is no need to apologise, Will. No need at all."   
"The things she was saying...I couldn't stand it...I couldn't stand her being here..."   
"What was she saying to you, Will?"   
Will sniffed and shook his head.   
"Will, tell me, please."   
Will swallowed.   
"She...she asked me if there was anywhere else I could go...she wanted to spend the night with you..."   
"Ah."   
Hannibal looked down at Scarlett's rapidly cooling corpse. He had had absolutely no intention on sleeping with her, though she was flattered he would think that. He cupped Will's face again and forced him to look at him.   
"Will, go inside. Clean yourself up. I have some work to do out here before it's too late."   
"Okay..."   
Will wiped his face, then seemed to realise that his hands were covered in blood as well. He turned and walked into the cabin, with every intention of going to the bathroom, but he walked straight into the bedroom instead. He sat on the bed, staring down at his hands.   
Hannibal set to work; he would finally be able to satisfy his cravings.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i can only apologise if this is horrendous. it has literally taken me _all day_ to write it, so i hope you enjoy it.

Will wasn't sure how long Hannibal was gone for, but when he stepped into the bedroom his shirt was blood stained, as were his hands, and there was a definite flush to his cheeks. He looked alive and invigorated, and when he crouched down in front of Will, he gently stroked Will's hand.  
"Will?"  
Hannibal spoke softly, waiting for Will to look at him and focus. When he did, Hannibal smiled.  
"How are you feeling?"  
Will sniffed.  
"I'm not sure...I'm feeling a lot of things..."  
"Talk to me, Will."  
"I'm glad I did it. That I can't deny."  
"You liked it?"  
"I _loved_ it. The power I felt..."  
"That's my favourite part."  
Will swallowed, taking in Hannibal's face again.  
"But I let you down."  
"No, Will, no you didn't. You surprised me, but you certainly didn't let me down. In fact, I'm happy that you took the initiative and ended her life."  
"You are?"  
"Of course. It shows growth in your character."  
Will fell silent, dropping his gaze. Hannibal continued to smile and he tilted Will's face up again.  
"Will..."  
"I'm sorry."  
The male was still crying, and though Hannibal understood why, he wished he would stop.  
"Please stop."  
Will cried harder.  
"I can't...hearing her say those things so soon after...after you told me..."  
He shook his head.  
"You love _me_ , not _her_. _Me_! If you should be spending the night with anyone it should be me! Someone you _know_! Not some _woman_ you _hardly_ know!"  
"Will..."  
"You love me..."  
Hannibal silenced Will with a kiss. It was only a gentle press of their lips, but it worked all the same.  
"I do love you, Will. There is nothing that can change that."  
Will sniffed again and pulled his hand from Hannibal's in order to pluck at his shirt. He tugged on Hannibal's shoulders like he was still unsure, then rested a hand against Hannibal's throat before pulling him into another kiss. It was slightly more passionate than the previous one, though still tentative, as though Will was searching through his wants and desires, working out just how he was feeling. He gripped Hannibal's shirt tighter as he deepened the kiss, pulling the other male tighter against him. Hannibal settled himself between Will's legs as he returned the kiss, letting his arms snake around Will's waist and roam over his back. Will let out a groan and Hannibal's ferocity increased; he pushed himself up, his tongue exploring Will's mouth eagerly. They held each other tightly, content, for the meantime, to just embrace.  
After a while, however, Will seemed to grow more desperate, and he held onto Hannibal so hard that it hurt. Their kisses were a clash of teeth and tongue, and Hannibal was forced to pull back.  
"Will...please, slow down..."  
Out of breath, Will nodded, though he kept his grip of Hannibal's shirt, at least until he was forced to let go. Hannibal started unfastening Will's shirt, worrying the buttons apart slowly, teasingly. Will watched, his chest rising and falling slowly as he tried to control himself. As Hannibal pushed Will's shirt open, he pushed himself upwards again and planted tender kisses along Will's forehead, over his scar. Chills were sent through Will's body, and he closed his eyes as Hannibal's kisses moved to his cheek, then slowly down to his shoulder. He kissed the bullet wound from Chiyoh's gun, then the scar left from his rotator cuff injury. When he came to the scar left by Dolarhyde, he started off tenderly, kissing it gently, though he took Will by surprise when he bit down on his shoulder instead. Will started, a moan escaping his lips. Hannibal kissed Will's shoulder again before working his way to the wound from Jack's gun, though he took his time over Will's chest, flicking his tongue against Will's nipples, as well as nipping at them.  
Will had taken handfuls of the blanket beneath him, and even though he was trying to control his breathing he was failing miserably. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Hannibal for a moment. He raised a hand and stroked his fingers through Hannibal's hair as he male worked his way lower. Hannibal pushed Will down against the bed before trailing his tongue over the scar he himself had left, a reminder of his heartache and betrayal. Will's hips rose when he felt the heat from Hannibal's breath on his stomach, and another moan escaped his lips. Hannibal kissed the scar, from one side to the other, watching Will the entire time. Will's grip on the blanket tightened and Hannibal smiled.  
"Hannibal..."  
Will whined, writhing slightly on the bed, and Hannibal pushed himself back up to bring Will into a kiss. He lay over Will and brought his hips down, grinding against Will's, and Will let out a desperate whimper, breaking the kiss, rolling his head back. He only pulled back then to admire his handiwork; the flush on Will's cheeks, his panting, the way his chest rose and fell as he tried to regain his composure. The look on Will's face was just the icing on the cake, and Hannibal ran his hands over Will's stomach and chest, savouring the sounds that were escaping from the other male. His hands then moved to Will's belt buckle, which he unfastened before working on his trousers, again, teasingly slow. Once unfastened, Hannibal worked them down over Will's hips, the other male assisting by lifting up from the bed. He tugged Will's trousers off roughly and threw them, not caring where they landed. He then ran a hand over Will's growing erection and Will moaned louder. He moved his hands as though wanting to remove his own underwear, but Hannibal grabbed Will's wrists and pinned him to the bed.  
"No."  
He hissed, close to Will's ear, sending more chills through Will's body. He watched Will's face for a few more moments before returning to where he had been, planting a few light kisses over Will's inner thigh, just for good measure. The whine that brought out from Will caused Hannibal to smile, and he ran both of his hands over Will's thighs, dangerously close to his length, and Will responded by rolling his hips up and crying out with desperation.  
"Now, now, Will. Patience is a virtue."  
Will responded with a groan, rolling his head back again. Hannibal smirked and ran his tongue over Will's underwear, tracing the male's length. Will gasped clenched his eyes shut, gripping the blanket once more. He repeated the action, back the other way, before sucking where he knew the head of Will's erection was. He didn't stop until satisfied that Will was ready, and it was only then that he tugged the male's underwear down, sending them across the room to join Will's trousers. Hannibal then took Will's length in his mouth, and Will cried out, his back arching. Hannibal ran his tongue over the tip of Will's length, slowly, making little circles that were driving Will crazy. He brought both of his hands up between Will's legs and used his palms to rub Will's balls as he took more of his length in his mouth, sucking softly. Will hissed, then pushed himself to a sitting position, biting his bottom lip hard. He cautiously ran a hand through Hannibal's hair again, then rested it on the back of Hannibal's head as the other male took his entire erection in his mouth. Hannibal didn't relent for a moment, continuously working his tongue before pulling back and taking a breath, then repeating his previous actions. Will tensed and tugged Hannibal's hair.  
Hannibal continued, working to a rhythm that caused Will's toes to curl and made him moan louder and louder. It was only when Hannibal was completely satisfied that Will was fully erect and that his length was slick with his saliva that he pulled back, replacing his mouth with a hand. Will let out a heavy breath followed by a deep rumble in his throat as he kissed Hannibal deeply. Hannibal returned the kiss, though he was forced to stop to ask the question that had been relentlessly sounding out in his mind.  
"Will...have you ever done this before?"  
"Hmm?"  
Will's eyes were somewhat glazed over and he looked like a man who had been drinking all day. Hannibal chuckled and kissed him gently, hoping to make him focus before he asked again.  
"Have you ever been with a man before?"  
_What does that have to do with anything?_ Will frowned as he looked at Hannibal, trying to work out why he was asking. But it quickly clicked into place.  
"Um...twice...at college..."  
Though Hannibal looked a little disappointed, he also looked relieved.  
"With the same man?"  
"Yes..."  
"Okay, good...very good..."  
Hannibal started unbuttoning his own shirt as Will shifted back a little on the bed, watching the other male undress. When Hannibal shrugged his shirt to the floor, Will swallowed hard. He took in Hannibal's broad chest; it wasn't the first time he had seen it since they had arrived at the cabin, but it was the first time that he had really looked at it. His chest was broad, the hair working its way down to Hannibal's trousers. Will licked his lips as his gaze travelled downwards, settling for a few moments on the wound inflicted by Dolarhyde. It had healed well, and like he had said, the scarring wasn't as bad as Hannibal had thought it would be. Though it still needed time to heal fully, it wasn't as angry as it had once been. Will reached forwards and gripped the waistband of Hannibal's trousers and pulled him forwards, his lips meeting the scar. He kissed it tenderly, then looked up at Hannibal. They locked eyes for a moment, the same lust and desire echoed between them both. Hannibal brought a hand up to brush his knuckles against Will's cheek, but Will's eyes then fell upon Hannibal's wrist; the scar that was there sent a wave of hurt through Will and he nuzzled against it before showering it with kisses. Hannibal breathed in deeply as he watched Will showing the same love and remorse that he had done.  
"Will...look at me..."  
Will did as he was told, his hands now resting on Hannibal's waist once again. Hannibal took in Will's face, still covered with Scarlett's blood. He ran his thumb over Will's bottom lip as his other hand ran through the curls on Will's forehead.  
"Beautiful..."  
Hannibal gently pushed Will against the bed and kissed him again, allowing Will to unfasten his trousers, though he did take Will's wrists again and pin him against the blanket as he looked over his face. The heat radiating from Will was doing nothing to convince Hannibal to continue taking things slowly, but he had planned this so many times in his mind that he wanted to make sure he did it right.  
Hannibal broke the kiss, let go of Will's wrists, and worked on getting his own trousers off. Removing them along with his underwear was one of the most satisfying things he had done all day. He then took Will's hand up to the male's mouth.  
"Spit."  
For a moment Will looked confused, but he soon did as he was told. Hannibal then moved Will's hand down between their bodies, using his own hand to guide Will's fingers around both of their lengths. Hannibal shuddered as Will carried on of his own accord, working his hand over their erections slowly.  
"Will..."  
Hannibal moaned, his eyes closing. Will took that as a good sign and stroked their lengths faster, squeezing at the base before working his way back to the tip. Soon they were working their hips together and Will didn't really have to move his hand at all. Their eyes met and they got lost in one another's gaze, panting almost in sequence, Hannibal's soft moans drowned out by Will's more desperate ones. It was when Will tensed and cried out loudly that Hannibal forced his hand away and stopped rolling his hips. Will let out a series of whines as the threat of his orgasm passed, and he eventually lay against the bed panting heavily, sweat adorning his body. His hips still rose and fell, but with no friction between himself and Hannibal, the need lessened. Hannibal seized the opportunity to go to the bedside table and take out a small tube. He warmed it in his palm as he kissed Will again tenderly before running his tongue over Will's cheek and to his throat.  
"Why did you stop?"  
The needful tone to Will's voice made Hannibal smile, but he didn't reply. He couldn't be sure on Will's stamina, but he didn't want that to have been the end of things. Besides, the wanting keen in Will's voice was something that Hannibal wanted to remember. He wanted the sound to be something that filled his mind palace whenever he called for it.  
Once satisfied that the tube was warm enough, Hannibal squeeze some of the clear gel onto his fingers, spreading Will's legs just that little bit more with his other hand. Will breathed in deeply and swallowed, relaxing himself. Hannibal rolled his fingers together, coating them, before rubbing against Will's entrance. Will let out a gasp and gripped the blankets yet again, the sensation that had receded in his abdomen returning without mercy. He let out a moan as Hannibal continued working his fingers against Will, and Will was soon panting as he watched Hannibal.  
"Let me know when you're ready, Will."  
Hannibal then leaned forwards and kissed Will's inner thigh as he slipped a finger inside him carefully. Will breathed in sharply, but didn't tell Hannibal to stop as he started working his digit. He eventually added a second finger, then a third, and Will's moans started to grow louder again. Hannibal took the tip of Will's erection in his mouth and sucked, moaning at the taste. Will's hips jerked upwards slightly and he cried out, then relaxed as much as Hannibal's actions would allow him to. Will's moaning and panting was what encouraged Hannibal to continue, and he worked his fingers faster inside Will, angling them to hit that sweet spot, and Will cried out again.  
"Hannibal! Please!"  
Hannibal looked up at Will and licked his lips.  
"What, Will?"  
"Please...please, I'm ready..."  
The longing on Will's face made Hannibal's heart skip a beat and he kissed over Will's stomach as he shifted himself, taking his fingers from Will and stroking his own length instead. He applied more of the gel to himself and continued stroking, then position himself between Will's legs.  
"Will..."  
Hannibal moaned as he pushed his erection into Will, and Will responded in kind. Hannibal wanted to take it slowly, still, but Will reached up and pulled him into a kiss, rolling his hips down and guiding Hannibal deeper inside him. They moaned into each other's mouths, taking a few moments to adjust to one another. Still impatient with the speed at which Hannibal was working, Will started rocking his hips, though each movement was awkward and Will's entire body was trembling. Hannibal looked down between their bodies, then pushed himself up slightly and gripped Will's hips. He grinded against the other male, biting on his bottom lip as he did so, before he pulled out partially and slowly eased back in.  
"Ah!"  
Will cried out, gripping Hannibal's forearms tightly. Hannibal repeated his action, his own body shuddering, working up to a constant yet paced rhythm. It was still apparently too slow for Will, who gripped and squeezed Hannibal's wrists harder as he let out more whimpers, but Hannibal refused to give in. He managed to free his arms from Will's grip and, instead of gripping Will's hips, loosely wrapped them around Will's throat. Will responded by gripping Hannibal's wrists, stroking his thumbs gently over the scars he had caused.  
When Will didn't fight against Hannibal, say or do anything that would suggest he was uncomfortable with where the male's hands were, Hannibal increased his speed, thrusting harder and faster, all the while watching Will's face. The expressions he was making would be imprinted on Hannibal's mind forever, and the sounds he was letting out were an improvement on the earlier ones.  
Keeping his hands where they were, Hannibal kissed Will again, forcing his lips open with his own. Their tongues met again and chills ran through Hannibal's body. And it was when Will moved his hands from Hannibal's wrists that Hannibal squeezed Will's throat before letting go. He wrapped his arms around Will's back and lifted him, giving him the opportunity to shuffle forwards on the bed. He held Will against him at an angle so that he was still able to work his hips, but it meant Will would be able to as well. Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal, his fingertips brushing against the brand from Mason Verger. Hannibal's actions faltered and he looked like he was about to tell Will to stop, but Will scratched over the brand, digging his nails in as hard as he could, then dragged outwards. Hannibal cried out, his hips bucking, the smell of his own blood hitting his nostrils.  
"You're...mine...Hannibal..."  
Will panted, gripping Hannibal's shoulder with one hand as he brought the fingertips of the other to his lips. He sucked on them, tasting Hannibal's blood. Hannibal moaned as he watched, then kissed Will again. He tugged on Will's bottom lip with his teeth as the kiss was broken, then licked his lips. The taste of Scarlett's blood was still there, but it was being overpowered by Will's mixed with his own. Will rolled his hips down to meet each of Hannibal's thrusts, the symphony of their moans growing louder and louder, more and more breathless. Their hands wandered over one another's bodies, touching and caressing whatever they could reach. Will pulled Hannibal into a kiss again as he rolled down onto his back, taking Hannibal's wrists and guiding his hands back to his throat. Hannibal smirked down at Will as the other male moved his hands away.  
"Harder..."  
Will whimpered, and Hannibal squeezed Will's throat. Will let out a moan and arched his back as Hannibal increased the speed of his thrusts. Will wrapped his legs around Hannibal, bringing their bodies still tighter together and he gripped the blankets beneath himself, tugging them up slightly.  
"Harder!"  
He pleaded. Hannibal let out a grunt and applied more pressure to Will's neck, knowing exactly where his hands needed to be. He worked his hips as hard as he could, groaning loudly as he did so. Will let out a cry, silenced slightly by the force of Hannibal's hands.  
A few more thrusts were all it took for Will to reach climax, and he cried out loudly as he came, his back arching. His orgasm left a sticky, wet trail over his stomach and chest, and watching Will was all that Hannibal needed. He thrusted hard into Will as he came, momentarily squeezing the other male's throat a little more. Hannibal's body shook as his orgasm passed, and he slowly let go of Will's neck. He'd left faint, red prints on the skin, but he doubted that Will would mind. In fact, the other male was too busy fighting to get his breath back to really care about anything. After a little while they kissed again; it was a tired yet eager kiss, and when it was broken, Hannibal nuzzled into Will's shoulder. Will held Hannibal against him, his eyes closed, still struggling to get a full breath.  
They remained like that for several minutes until Hannibal pushed himself up, brushing his hair back into position. Will swallowed and ran a hand over Hannibal's chest before the other male fell onto the bed beside him. Will grinned, feeling Hannibal's warmth spreading between his thighs. He turned his head and looked at Hannibal, who was still getting his breath back. Will licked his lips, then kissed Hannibal's cheek lovingly. Hannibal smiled.  
"Was that what you hoped it would be?"  
Hannibal turned to look at Will and smiled.  
"It was all I'd hoped and more."  
They kissed again, then lay together for a few more minutes before Hannibal pushed himself upright.  
"We should shower. And then eat."  
"What're we going to eat?"  
Will grinned, already knowing the answer.  
"There's a tender young thing slowly roasting in the oven. I believe it will almost be ready."  
"Sounds delicious."


	16. Chapter 16

While Will had been left alone in the bedroom, Hannibal had wasted no time at all in taking what he had wanted from Scarlett's body. Very little of her went to waste, and whatever he hadn't wanted he had simply thrown in the freezer before he returned to Will.  
After their lovemaking, they took a shower together, and though things threatened to get rather heated again, neither of them really had the energy for anything else other than food and sleep.  
Hannibal was thrilled at Will's enthusiasm for his dinner, and even more so when Will commented on Hannibal's perfect taste in meat. Will ate every last bite of food on his plate, and he felt absolutely no remorse for anything that had happened during the course of the day. After their meal, they congratulated each other on a job thoroughly well done, and went to bed. Will fetched his pillows from the sofa and settled them next to Hannibal's on the bed before climbing under the covers. Hannibal turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness, and got into bed next to Will, who immediately shuffled closer to Hannibal.  
"Goodnight, Hannibal."  
"Goodnight, my dear, Will."  
Hannibal kissed Will's forehead before getting himself comfortable, and they fell asleep in one another's arms. 

-/- 

"Mr Crawford...you have to come over...please..."  
The desperation in the child's voice pulled at Jack's heart.  
"Of course, Walt. I'll be there as soon as I can. Where is your mother?"  
"She's in her room, looking through everything."  
"How has she been the last few days?"  
"Everything was fine until she found their wedding photos again..."  
Jack let out a sigh; he would have remove them from the house entirely at this rate. Molly had found just about everything they had hidden from her, furious when they tried to explain their reasoning to her.  
" _Please_ , Mr Crawford...she's turned the house upside down...even the dogs are hiding from her."  
"Don't worry, Walt. I'll be right there. Is the front door locked?"  
"Yes."  
"When you hear me knock, open it. Don't open it for anybody else, understand?"  
Walt nodded, then realised that Jack couldn't see him and gave a verbal response.  
"Good. You sit tight."  
Jack hung up the phone and instantly called Alana. She answered on the third ring.  
"Jack?"  
"Hello, Alana. I'm afraid I need your help again."  
"Is it Molly?"  
"Yes."  
"Should I bring anything?"  
Jack thought for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh.  
"Perhaps. Just as a precaution."  
"Alright. I'll be there soon."  
"Thank you, Alana. I owe you one."  
"Another one you mean."  
Jack chuckled, then hung up and got himself ready. Molly Graham, as expected, had taken the loss of her husband rather hard, but her behaviour was affecting Walt as well. The kid was going through his own grieving process and needed his mother. He couldn't keep relying on the sympathy of people he didn't know very well. They had tried to explain this to Molly, but she either didn't hear them or didn't care. Every time Jack was called to the Graham household, it was like being hit with the news of Will's possible death over and over again. And when they had decided to call off the search...it was just a tragic waste of life, and all for what? So that Hannibal Lecter didn't have to face prison again? It was sickening. 

"Do you want me to come?"  
"No. Someone has to stay here."  
Alana nodded towards their son's bedroom, and Margot let out a sigh.  
"I might be useful."  
"No offence, but I doubt it. Molly is quite a handful."  
Alana kissed Margot before she left, smiling to her driver as she climbed into the backseat. 

It was shortly after Will had hit Scarlett with the elk statue that Jack arrived at the Graham household. All of the lights were on, and there was the distinct sound of furniture being moved or thrown, as well as other items being shifted. Whatever Molly was looking for, she wasn't doing it quietly.  
Jack stepped up to the front door and knocked once, waited for a moment, then knocked four times. He took a deep breath, bracing himself to walk back into Will's house once more. The door opened and Walt's pale face appeared, accompanied by a few whimpering dogs. He stepped back to let Jack in, then hastily closed the door again.  
"Is she still in her room?"  
"No. She's in the lounge."  
Jack crouched down in front of Walt and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
"Go back to your room. Doctor Bloom should be here soon."  
Walt nodded, then disappeared back up to his bedroom; the dogs trotting along behind him. Jack got back to his feet and braced himself as he headed for the lounge, and what he found was heart breaking.  
Molly was in her pyjamas, wrapped in her robe, exactly the same as she was when Jack had left her house only days before. Her hair was a mess and she looked harried, pasty and pale, like she hadn't slept, which, Jack reminded himself, she probably hadn't. The furniture _had_ been moved; the sofa had been pulled away from the wall, the armchairs were facing odd angles. There were papers and magazines strewn everywhere, as well as a multitude of clippings from the Baltimore Sun and Tattle Crime. Cupboards were open, boxes thrown everywhere. The woman worked fast.  
"Molly. It's Jack."  
She either didn't hear him or was deliberately ignoring him, and he removed his hat, dropping it on the closest surface as he stepped forwards and spoke louder.  
"Molly. Please. It's Jack."  
"Jack?"  
Molly stopped with a handful of papers and turned, looking at Jack.  
"What are you doing here? Have you found him?"  
The words pierced Jack's soul like a knife. She asked him that every time he went around.  
"No, Molly. I'm here because Walter called me."  
"Walt?"  
Molly's eyes drifted to the ceiling before looking back to Jack, suddenly looking haughty.  
"We're fine, Jack. And we certainly don't need you sticking your nose in every five minutes. If you're not going to help me-…"  
"I'm _trying_ to help you, Molly. Will's death has affected all of us, and-…"  
"He isn't dead!"  
Molly threw the papers she was holding to the floor when she shouted, and the dogs started barking upstairs.  
"Will is _not_ dead! And when I prove it, you'll all be _begging_ me to tell you how I figured it out!"  
Jack let out an exasperated sigh just as there was a knock at the door. He left Molly in the lounge to answer, knowing it was Alana.  
"Bad?"  
"Quite."  
Alana gave Jack a sympathetic smile as she walked into the house. Molly emerged from the lounge, still looking haughty.  
"Oh, called her as well, have you? Ever considered she might still be in cahoots with that bastard?"  
'That bastard', aka as Hannibal. Molly was convinced that Alana had something to do with it, and that Jack was being blackmailed into going along with her lies.  
"Mrs Graham, my relationship with Hannibal ended when he tried to have me killed. That I can assure you."  
Molly scoffed, then went back into the lounge, muttering to herself. Alana turned to Jack with a sigh.  
"What do we do?"  
"Short of moving her into some kind of facility, I don't know. We can't keep coming over here like this. Walt needs some stability in his life, now more than ever."  
"I know. I just...have no idea how we can help Molly without making things worse."  
"How do you mean?"  
"What if we went along with her ideas? Tried to gently coax her into reality."  
"Alana, we held a memorial for Will. How much more reality do we need?"  
"I think, given the way Will supposedly died, there was no hard evidence that showed that he did die. He and Hannibal may have just...run off together."  
"We've been through this. The blood, the obvious signs of movement on the edge of the blood. Will and Hannibal lost a fair amount of blood in their fight with Dolarhyde, and for all we know, they turned on one another afterwards and they both fell into the sea. There were no obvious tracks leading away from the house, whether by car or on foot. The only logical explanation is that they drowned."  
Alana sighed heavily and ran a hand over her forehead.  
"I know that, Jack. I do. I just...I don't want to accept that Will is dead. He was such a good man."  
"In his own way. When he wasn't around Hannibal."  
"Mmm. Hannibal brought out the worst in him."  
"And, unfortunately, the best in him."  
"I suppose he did."  
Alana sighed again and looked towards the lounge, where the sounds of Molly looking for something had started up again. How many times had they tidied up after her, only to be called back around a few days later? And poor Walt, getting caught up in the middle of it all.  
"Did you bring anything?"  
"A mild sedative. It won't knock her out, but it will calm her down enough for us to get her to bed. Hopefully she'll actually sleep."  
They both walked into the lounge, watching Molly for a few moments before they continued talking.  
"I wonder what she's looking for."  
"She never responded when I asked her."  
"She's looking for evidence."  
Alana and Jack turned when they heard Walt speak. He had crept down the stairs, Winston at his heels, and was watching his mother along with them. Alana looked curiously at Jack before crouching down.  
"Evidence? About what?"  
"About where dad might have gone."  
"Oh..."  
Alana looked over at Molly, who kept running her hands through her hair as she moved around the room.  
"...what _kind_ of evidence?"  
Walt shrugged.  
"Receipts, tickets, brochures. Something that'll show where he went. But...I know where he went..."  
Walt finished with a whisper and Alana stroked her hand over his head.  
"It's okay, Walt. We're going to help your mother, okay?"  
"Are you going to drug her again?"  
Alana and Jack shared an uneasy glance before Jack stepped forwards to try to stop Molly.  
"Well...yes. But this one will only make her a little bit sleepy, not like the last one, okay?"  
Walt nodded.  
"I'm going to my room now."  
"Okay."  
Alana smiled at Walt and waited till she heard his footsteps going up the stairs to stand and join Jack, who had managed to distract Molly.  
She pulled the needle out of her pocket and glanced at Jack, who narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head.  
"Molly, you should probably get some rest."  
"I can't! I know the answer is here somewhere!"  
"We can help you look some more in the morning. Start over with fresh pairs of eyes."  
Molly looked from Jack to Alana and back again, thinking over Jack's suggestion. She seemed to accept, as her body loosened and her shoulders sagged a little.  
"You're probably right. I don't even remember what I was looking for."  
Alana uncapped the needle.  
"I can give you something that'll help you sleep."  
Molly nodded and Alana slipped the needle under her skin, then pushed down the plunger before recapping the needle and tucking it back into her pocket.  
"Come along, then, Molly. Let's get you upstairs."  
While Alana accompanied Mrs Graham to her bedroom, Jack attempted to straighten out the lounge. He moved the sofa back and rearranged the chairs, then crouched down as he started collecting up the paper clippings. It was hard to do, but he managed to get most of them up before actually looking at the images on them. The very first one he looked at was a picture of Will from when he was incarcerated. His haunted eyes stared blankly up at Jack, and he quickly tucked it at the back of the pile he had before continuing. The next image was of Hannibal Lecter, looking contemptuous as always, even with that mask over the bottom half of his face. He let himself fall back against the sofa, sitting with one leg bent. He rested his wrist on his knee as he gazed at Hannibal's face; this was the man who had single-handedly wreaked havoc on the lives of all the people he had touched. He stared at the picture until his eyes unfocused, and it was then that he spotted a photograph of Will, beaming up at him, surrounded by his dogs. He picked up the photo and held it in his other hand. A small smiled played across Jack's face as his eyes filled with tears. He missed Will; working crime scenes just wasn't the same without him.  
If there was any chance, no matter how slim, that Molly was right about Will, didn't he owe it to her, and himself, to find him? But what if Will was alive and he was with Hannibal of his own volition? Jack would, at best, be forced to arrest Will. At worst? If Will attempted to defend Hannibal, Jack would have to make a decision on trying to bring him in, or killing him. He had analysed the crime scene time and time again; scanned evidence photographs of both inside and outside of the house to try to determine if there was any possibility that either of the two men were still alive, and the only conclusion he had been able to reach was that they had perished after falling into the sea. He had been the one who called off the search for their bodies after the four-week mark has passed, and it had killed him to see Molly's reaction.  
"She's asleep. I checked on Walt and he's going to try and get some sleep as well. Jack, I-...Jack?"  
Jack hastily wiped his face when Alana entered the room, though there was no fooling her. She sat on the sofa beside Jack and put a hand on his shoulder. She also looked at the pictures Jack was holding.  
" _Could_ we have missed something after all?"  
She stared directly into Hannibal's eyes and it made her skin crawl; it was almost like he was staring back at her. The photo of Will didn't really help, either. Something in his smile looked false, forced for the camera. Was he ever really happy with Molly and Walter? She would never know. None of them would.  
"Don't second guess yourself, Jack. It isn't healthy."  
"I know, I know."  
Jack lowered the pictures and wiped his face again. He looked around the living room.  
"It sometimes feels like he's still here."  
Alana looked around as well, and though she could understand what Jack meant, she couldn't feel it at all. There was nothing left of Will within the house except his photographs and belongings. And they weren't really Will.  
"I should get back to Margot. Are you going home?"  
"No, I think I'll stay here the night. Molly might appreciate a good breakfast."  
"You're a damn fine man, Jack Crawford."  
Alana called her driver, and Jack watched her drive away before closing and locking the front door. He did a little more tidying before sitting himself down on an armchair with a glass of scotch. From where he was sitting he could just see the front door; he kept thinking he saw it opening and a familiar shape forming in the space it created...so he moved to the sofa.


	17. Chapter 17

Will and Hannibal spent the next morning burying what remained of Scarlett's body, and cleaning up the porch. After wiping down the elk statue, Will had placed it above the fireplace, in full view for anyone to see. They had buried Scarlett next to the woodpile beside the porch, and once they had cleaned the blood from the wood, they had re-varnished it. When they stood back to admire all of their handiwork, they both had broad smiles on their faces.   
Will had also taken it upon himself to inspect the brand on Hannibal's back, and reported to the man that his nails had certainly changed it somewhat. It was still something of a sore spot for Hannibal, and he altered the topic of conversation rather quickly, but he was still happy that there was something different about it.   
After lunch they took Scarlett's apartment keys and went into town. They easily found her landlord and informed him that, although Scarlett had had to leave town suddenly, that they would be taking on the rent, as she had asked them to before she left. He had no issue with it, and Will and Hannibal spent the afternoon getting rid of all of Scarlett's clothes, as well as her personal effects. Thankfully there weren't very many items they had to move, as the apartment had been fully furnished. The local charity shop was extremely pleased with the clothing that Hannibal brought in, and a few rubbish bins took care of the rest. Anything left that they couldn't easily get rid of went into a box which was stored in the cabin, out of sight and out of mind. They changed the sheets on Scarlett's bed and spent the night at the apartment, though Will slept restlessly and commented on his unease at living at the apartment full time.   
"It's just...not home."   
"I understand. I'm sure we can put it to good use."   
They returned to the cabin after that for dinner, consuming more of Scarlett. Steak and kidney pie had never tasted so good. 

-/- 

Molly wasn't really any better the following morning; she had argued with Jack for staying the night before giving in and dissolving to floods of tears. Thankfully, Walt had gone to school, so he didn't have to witness his mother sobbing again. Jack held her throughout, and when she had calmed down, she thanked him for being such a good friend to Will. Another stab of pain pierced Jack's soul, and he thought long and hard about the things he had forced Will to do in the line of duty that no real friend would, while he cooked breakfast. When Molly returned, refreshed, showered and in clean clothes, she looked more like the woman that Will had introduced Jack to. _If only she could be like this every day_ , he thought, watching how easily she smiled at the small jokes he made. It was like a good's sleep had done her good, but he knew it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down again, and it did after breakfast. He had missed a single photograph of Will, and she became hysterical once more. Nothing that Jack did would calm her again, and he was forced to leave when she threw her half-eaten breakfast at him.   
If he had stayed just ten minutes longer he would have been able to stop her from emailing Freddie Lounds, and tell her that Freddie was toxic and likely to twist everything she said to fit her own sick agenda. Maybe he could have told her that she never really liked or trusted Will, so going to her for sympathy was a pointless exercise. But, Jack hadn't been there, so when Molly arranged to meet Freddie for lunch the following day, there was absolutely nothing he could do. 

-/- 

"Is this the sort of life you imagined with Abigail?"   
Hannibal was stunned at the mention of her name; so much so that he stopped washing the dishes and turned to face Will, who was still picking at his dinner.   
"I...I suppose it is. Why do you ask, Will?"   
Will shrugged and ate another mouthful of food.   
"It's just something that'd been playing on my mind, that's all."   
Hannibal looked down at the bubbles in the sink and thought about Will's question. The life he was currently living with Will could be seen as something like his previous plan, yes, but they would have needed a much bigger place to live back then. That, and the level of trust between himself and Will certainly wouldn't be the same as it was. Despite that, they would have been a family, and a lot of the incidents before and after Dolarhyde would not have happened.   
"It would have taken Abigail time to adjust, I think."   
"Longer than me?"   
Hannibal chuckled.   
"Perhaps."   
Will stood from the table and scraped the last vestiges of his dinner from his plate before giving it to Hannibal to wash. He picked up a dish towel and started drying.   
"Abigail Hobbs would have given you more focus, I believe, on starting out on a new life. Much like Molly and Walter did, I imag-…"   
"Don't say their names."   
Will's voice was harsh, and his entire body had tensed at the mention of his wife and stepson. Hannibal stopped what he was doing.   
"My apologies, Will. I didn't mean to-…"   
"Don't apologise. I just...I don't ever want to think about them."   
Hannibal swallowed and they fell into silence, finishing the washing up without saying another word. If Will had known that his wife was currently sitting in his old lounge with Freddie Lounds, discussing him and Hannibal, he would probably have something to say on the matter.   
After they washed up they retreated into the living room. Hannibal had finally relented and bought a television, and though he had had issues with it in the beginning, he was glad that he had purchased it. Instead of spending every night talking or re-reading his books, they would watch movies together, which was a much better way for them to spend their time. Occasionally Will would turn it on during the day and watch the local news, or they would watch a documentary, but most of the time it stayed still and silent, taking up a space that Will had always considered empty in the room. Will was also still keen on getting them a dog, so he was tasked with heading to the shelter at the same time that Molly and Freddie started going through everything they knew about the night Francis Dolarhyde was killed.   
When he arrived at the shelter, the smell of dogs was so welcoming that he almost adopted every single one of them. There weren't very many, which he was grateful for, and some of the ones that were left were just waiting for their new families to pick them up. He was on his way with the woman that worked there to see the dogs that were still anticipating a new home, when he spotted the cats. He'd never been particularly drawn to felines but after the conversation he had had with Hannibal, he wondered what it would be like to have one as a pet. Something made him walk towards their cages, and the very first one he lay eyes on melted his heart. She was a small tabby named Abby. She was only a few months old and she mewed up at Will's face; it was just the sweetest sound that Will actually found himself tearing up. When he asked about her he was told that she had been found next to her mother, who they assumed had been hit by a car. She had been cowering in a bush with her brother and two sisters, and the person that brought them in had adopted the brother and one of the sisters without a second thought. Abby was the last of the litter left, and the longer Will stared down at her big, yellow eyes, the more he fell in love with her. He eventually smiled at the kitten and told her that she was going to a new home. She purred and rubbed herself against the bars of her cage.   
Will paid the adoption fee, then popped into the local store to get her bowls, food, toys and a bed to sleep on before heading back to the jeep. He had carried Abby's cage through the store, not wanting to leave her alone in the jeep even for a second. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he headed back to the cabin, excited for Hannibal's reaction.   
"I think you're going to like your new home, Abby. We've got lots of things for you to climb on."   
Abby mewed up at Will and looked out of the window. Will smiled at her, then looked back at the road as he rounded the corner to the cabin. Hannibal was there again, sitting on the porch steps, wrapped in a blanket as well as wearing his coat. He stood up when the jeep pulled up, and he smiled at Will as he climbed out.   
"So? Did you find a suitable dog?"   
Will pulled a face as he crossed to the passenger side door.   
"Well...not quite."   
He opened the door, then unfastened Abby's carrier and pulled her out. He turned and walked towards Hannibal, whose expression of confusion was quickly replaced by a chuckle and a smile.   
"You got a cat."   
"I couldn't resist. Something about her face nearly killed me."   
Will gently handed the kitten to Hannibal, who took her equally as carefully. She purred and nudged his chin with her head.   
"She's very affectionate."   
"I know."   
Will returned to the car and gathered up Abby's belongings, then walked into the cabin behind Hannibal.   
"What's her name?"   
"Abby."   
Hannibal did a double take, but he smiled.   
"What a coincidence."   
"I swear I didn't get her because of her name. We can change it if you want."   
"No. I think it suits her."   
"Me too."


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> huge, huge thanks to Bryan Fuller and his website, http://livingdeadguy.com/, for giving everyone access to the scripts from the show. i had to do a lot of cross referencing for this chapter. we love you, Bryan!

"Okay, so, this is what we know so far..."  
Papers, articles, 'borrowed' police reports and various eye witness accounts, as well as testimonies from the officers involved, were strewn across Molly Graham's dining table. Freddie Lounds was sat with her laptop open, scrolling through more articles and other sources of information.  
"...Jack and Will came up with a plan to make it seem that Hannibal Lecter had escaped from prison, as a lure for the Tooth Fairy. Using Hannibal as bait, they were doing to then kill Francis Dolarhyde and, most likely, Lecter as well."  
"But it didn't go to plan."  
"No, it didn't. Somewhere along the way, Dolarhyde came along and caused the transport Will and Hannibal were in to crash, killing all of the officers involved."  
"Unless Lecter did that himself."  
"That's true. Will and Hannibal then manage to get to Hannibal's house on the bluff in one of the stolen police cars, and they waited for Dolarhyde to arrive. What they did during that time is anyone's guess, but I can imagine a few things..."  
"Will and I were married at the time, Ms Lounds. I want you to remember that."  
"I'm sorry, Mrs Graham, but, I've known Will a lot longer than you have. His relationship with Hannibal weird...peculiar to say the least. They always seemed to be able to bounce off one another, and there was definitely something between them."  
"I seem to recall an article where you referred to them as 'murder husbands'?"  
"I still stand by that."  
"I think it was disrespectful."  
"I'll let you decide on that if we ever find them."  
"You believe me then? Truly?"  
"Mrs Graham, I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe you. This isn't the first time Hannibal Lecter was able to wriggle his way out from the FBI's grip. And I bet it won't be the last."  
Molly nodded, then gestured that Freddie should continue.  
"So, they wait at the bluff, not knowing when Dolarhyde was coming or even if he knew where they were. Things were probably going well between the two of them, and then...Dolarhyde shows up."  
"He shoots Hannibal from outside...that's what the FBI said, right?"  
"Right. They believe Hannibal was shot in the abdomen, going from the blood they found in the house. It would have been painful, but not immediately fatal...shame...Dolarhyde then enters the house but doesn't yet injure Will in any way. Instead, he sets up a camera...damn I forgot how much of a freak this Tooth Fairy guy was."  
"He was disgusting. I can only imagine what they found in what was left of his house."  
"If they even found anything."  
"Mm."  
The pair sat in silence for a few moments before Molly stood up and fetched them both fresh coffee. This was about the same time that Abby was minutes away from being spotted by Will Graham.  
When Molly returned, Freddie graciously accepted the mug and took a sip before setting it down and continuing.  
"This is where Will gets injured."  
"Yes. He does something, or says something, that Dolarhyde doesn't like and he gets stabbed..."  
Freddie checked the reports.  
"...perhaps reaching for a gun? They never were clear on that. Would Will have a gun with him?"  
"Almost at all times. I don't remember him ever leaving home without it."  
"Always ready."  
"Always."  
Molly took a moment to remember Will's smile, while Freddie remembered seeing Will with his own mask on while he was in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.  
"But, whatever it was that Will did, whether he was trying to defend himself or Hannibal, they ended up on the patio. Will managed to get the blade that Dolarhyde had injured him with, suggesting that he still had it in the wound."  
Molly barely suppressed a shudder. It wasn't pleasant going through the suspected final moments of the man who loved.  
"Will stabs Dolarhyde at least once then, but there's another struggle which leads Hannibal into the fray as they found traces of his blood all over the patio as well as Will's and Dolarhyde's."  
"I hope they gave that bastard hell."  
Freddie chuckled; considering how Dolarhyde had died, she imagined that Will and Hannibal certainly released their combined fury on the guy.  
"Will still has the knife, while Hannibal finds a hatchet."  
"Dolarhyde's fate is sealed."  
"Oh, definitely. I can only imagine what's going through his head at this point. Nevermind Will's."  
"It was self-defence."  
"It was cold blooded murder, Mrs Graham. I don't care if Dolarhyde wasn't ever meant to see the light of another day. They _butchered_ him. _Both_ of them. _Together_."  
Molly swatted the air as though trying to bat away Freddie's words. She had always been adamant on Will's innocence, not accepting for a moment that he might have acted differently if Hannibal hadn't been there.  
"Anyway..."  
Freddie sipped some more coffee before continuing.  
"Their attack on Dolarhyde reaches a fever pitch; an us or him sort of thing. Dolarhyde goes down, but manages to get back up again. Will stabs Dolarhyde in the stomach, gutting him..."  
Freddie let out a laugh.  
"Much like what Hannibal did to Will."  
She shook her head.  
"Hannibal is...possibly on Dolarhyde's back, going from the angle of the bite in his neck. I bet Hannibal enjoyed that little snack."  
Molly grimaced.  
"Hannibal ends up back on the ground, most likely falling from his gunshot wound. Dolarhyde goes down, doesn't get back up. Hannibal and Will, still very much alive, go to each other, right on the edge of the bluff. Do they talk? Do they make a joke? Do they console one another? Do they share a kiss?"  
"Please, Freddie."  
"After a certain amount of time, they fall into the sea. Or do they jump? Do they have a struggle between themselves and one pushes the other? I guess we'll never really know the truth there."  
"Unless we find them."  
"If they're still alive, yes."  
Freddie scrolled down and read some more, then finished her coffee.  
" _If_ they survived the fall, miraculously missing the rocks, do they drown? Hannibal is injured but still, apparently, a strong swimmer. Will is also injured by not as severely. He's younger, fitter. More likely to survive the fall than Hannibal at this point."  
She ran her hands through her curls and let out a sigh.  
"So, there's a strong possibility that Will survived. But...why disappear if he did? Why not come back?"  
"Because Hannibal didn't die either?"  
"Or Hannibal _did_ drown, and Will felt...what? Guilt?"  
"That wouldn't explain why Will wouldn't come home."  
"That's true. So, the only suggestion, other than that they both died, is that they're both alive somewhere. I mean, if they had run off together only for Hannibal to die of his injuries anyway, surely Will would come back."  
Molly let out a sigh. Why hadn't the FBI gone through it like this? Or, maybe they had and they just preferred the simple option. But, with the risk of Hannibal Lecter possibly still being alive, why weren't they looking, just for a little while longer. Okay, so, they had no leads, and nobody had called the hotline for weeks. The growing consensus was that they had drowned, Will possibly dragged down by Hannibal's weight. It was certainly, the most feasible...wasn't it?  
"I'd like to think he would."  
Freddie shook her head.  
"I know why the FBI wanted to just accept that they both died; it would be more clean cut and they wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. But...he was the Chesapeake Ripper, for crying out loud! He kidnapped Jack Crawford's protégé!"  
"They got her back though."  
"Still doesn't change the fact that Hannibal took her in the first place. Used her to toy with Jack. I'd certainly want revenge on that front."  
"But...didn't Jack get his revenge?"  
"Possibly. I have no idea what they all got up to in Florence. All I know is that they all ended up back here anyway."  
"What if we spoke to that...that Bedelia woman?"  
Freddie scoffed.  
"She's as likely to say Hannibal's dead as anyone in the FBI. They all so desperately want it to be true that they're ignoring anything else."  
"What do we do, then?"  
"We look for them ourselves. I could post up a new set of fliers on my website and in my magazine. You could start a missing person's campaign."  
"Would it work?"  
"It's worth a shot. If Hannibal Lecter _is_ alive, he still had time to serve."


	19. Chapter 19

While Freddie and Molly were meeting up for coffee during school hours, or calling one another with ideas and working out their next set of plans, Will and Hannibal were doting on their kitten. She had been at the cabin for about a fortnight, and she was settling in quite nicely. Especially as far as Hannibal was concerned. Will, much more used to dogs and their behaviour, didn't know how to react to being clawed at by a cat, or hissed at, and he certainly didn't like it when she just stared at him. At least with dogs their tails wagged, so you knew they were happy to see you. Cats, on the other hand, seemed to like to make their masters uneasy for the fun of it. Hannibal didn't seem to have that problem, but considered he was rather feline in some of his attributes and mannerisms, Will wasn't surprised. He would often spot Abby letting out a mew as she ran after Hannibal, and she followed him almost everywhere. She would harass him while he cooked, and he couldn't resist in hand feeding her a few pieces of meat. The amount of times he had to gently swat her away while she was stood on the worktop was possibly nearing the hundred mark. While she played with Will and would let him stroke her, she would only settle on Hannibal's lap. She did, however, enjoy following Will while he went fishing, and she would attempt to catch fish herself, though she never managed it. The first time she brought a mouse home, instead of scolding her like most cat owners did, Hannibal congratulated her. Will actually found it rather sweet. The only thing that Abby did that annoyed Hannibal was that she frequently curled up on their clean laundry. It was an almost daily source of amusement for Will, whether he was stood in one of the rooms, in the shower or on the porch to hear, "Argh! Abby!" followed by the gentle patter of little cat feet.   
It was because of Abby that Will found himself in town again, alone, and sure he was on the verge of a panic attack. She had managed to get into Will's fishing gear, and she had made a complete mess of all of his fishing lines. After spending over an hour trying, and failing, to untangle it all, Will had given up and instead decided to buy himself some more. Hannibal hadn't helped Will's efforts at all, choosing to use the line as a toy for Abby instead of keeping her occupied elsewhere. Disgruntled, Will had left the cabin and walked into town rather than driving. It wasn't a particularly nice day, but he had been looking forwards to catching something for their dinner, and decided taking a long walk would probably help relax him just as well.   
Everything had gone well at first; he had arrived at the store, had a chat with the clerk and then bought what he wanted before leaving. He even stopped off to buy Hannibal a bunch of flowers, something he wouldn't have done usually, but for some reason he felt it was a good day to do so. He then got Abby a few treats, something she didn't need but he couldn't resist giving her anyway. With a smile on his face he then started back towards home, briefly stopping to look in a window at the Thanksgiving display. It was when he turned to carry on back to the cabin that he noticed a man looking at him with a frown on his face. The man was holding a magazine, and once or twice he glanced down at the front cover before looking back up at Will. Feeling slightly uneasy, Will made sure the bottom half of his face was covered properly before continuing on. He still felt like the man was watching him, but when he turned back to look, the man was walking away, shaking his head. Will breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, and that was when he spotted the latest Tattle Crime issue. His face was on the cover, underneath the title, in large red lettering,   
"Will Graham; Still Alive?"   
And sitting right next to it was the exact same red lettering, but instead of Will, it was Hannibal.   
Will's heartbeat was in his ears, loud and fast. His grip on his purchases slackened as he took a step backwards. No...no, it couldn't be true. He swallowed hard, the bags he was holding falling from his fingertips. He raised a hand to his face, but lowered it again as he closed the gap between himself and the magazines. The closer he got, the louder his heart seemed to beat. With his shaking hands he lifted two magazines, bringing his and Hannibal's faces into better light. Snatches of sentences jumped out at him;   
'...possibility of escape from FBI...'   
'...exclusive interview with Molly Graham...'   
"'Murder husbands' still on the run...?"   
Will spoke the words to himself, feeling his stomach knotting. He felt like the world was spinning, and it was only when he heard a snort in his ear that he stopped staring down at Hannibal's face. He turned and looked over his shoulder; the Stag, watching him intently. Will swallowed again and, after locking eyes with the beast for a few moments, nodded. As he looked back to the magazines he pulled some notes out of his pocket and paid for the magazines. The more normal he acted, the quieter his heart seemed to get. He realised he was no longer holding his bags and hastily picked them up, acting as though everything was perfectly fine, ignoring the questioning glances from a few people nearby. How many of them even bothered with Tattle Crime? How many of them watched the news at all? He could answer the first question himself; probably less than ten. As for the second question, the entire town, most likely. He and Hannibal had been so careful about showing too much of their faces, and during the colder times of the wear, it was more accepted to venture out of the house wrapped up warmly. Had someone seen them at the cabin? Was Hannibal really that recognisable? He rolled up the magazines as he headed home. Exclusive interview...was Molly really that naïve to think that Freddie Lounds wouldn't twist every single thing she said? What had Molly said in the interview in the first place? Why were they even talking? Why couldn't Molly just accept that Will was dead?!   
He glanced down at his left hand, but did a double take and eventually stopped in his tracks, staring at his fourth finger. The simple gold band seemed to sneer up at him, and he let out a grunt of exasperation before walking again, picking up speed before he was sprinting. He ran until breathing in the cold air felt like a thousand knives stabbing in his lungs, and he slowed. Thankfully he wasn't that far from home, and when the cabin came into view, it was like a whole plan blossomed into his head. There was only one thing they could do about their current situation, really, and he hoped Hannibal would be on board. 

"What's this?"   
Hannibal looked up when Will dropped the magazines on the coffee table. Abby mewed and stirred, uncurling herself on Hannibal's lap and nuzzling against his chin.   
"We have to kill Freddie Lounds."   
Hannibal leaned forwards and took the magazines; Abby nudged them as though they would give her attention. When they didn't, she let out another mew and hopped off Hannibal's lap. Hannibal looked from one cover to the other, a smirk forming on his face.   
"My, my. She's like a dog with a bone."   
"Did you hear me, Hannibal?"   
"Of course, I did."   
Hannibal smiled briefly up at Will before setting a magazine aside and opening the one with Will's face on it. He sat back to start reading, then noticed the flowers that Will was holding.   
"Are those for me?"   
"What? Oh!"   
Will looked at the flowers in his hand, now a little battered after falling on the ground.   
"Yes..."   
"That's very sweet of you, Will."   
"Yeah, well..."   
He set them down on the coffee table, along with the other things he'd bought, then sat on the edge of the sofa. He took up the other magazine and opened it as well. The exclusive interview started on page 2 and ran right through till page 8. Five whole pages of Molly talking about how wonderful Will was, as well as her theory on how they might have survived and what he could possibly be doing. Hannibal was mentioned a fair few times, though Will couldn't imagine Molly writing that she suspected her husband was having an affair with a known cannibal; that all sounded like Freddie. Almost the entire issue was about Hannibal and Will; there were hotlines that people could call if they thought they might have seen either of them (most likely just numbers directly to Ms Lounds), as well as various articles about how they had met. It seemed that readers had also given their opinions on the whole thing, and the majority of them believed that Molly was probably insane, just like her husband. Thankfully, Walt was barely mentioned at all, and Jack and Alana had refused to comment.   
"Ms Lounds certainly has been busy."   
"She has."   
Hannibal closed his copy of the magazine, then took Will's and threw them in the fireplace. He stood there for a few moments, his hands on his hips, staring at the elk statue on the mantelpiece.   
"I think you might be right. It is time to pay Ms Lounds a visit."   
Will quickly stood up again.   
"Really?"   
"Of course. We simply cannot allow her to continue like this. The more our faces appear on covers, the more likely we are to be discovered."   
"We'd be safe until the weather warmed up, surely."   
"Perhaps. But there are keen eyes everywhere, Will, and you..."   
Hannibal turned to face Will, his hands slipping into his trouser pockets.   
"...you do have a memorable face."   
"Now isn't the time for compliments, Hannibal."   
The two men grinned at one another.   
"It would be prudent for us to eliminate her, once and for all."   
"Finish what I...almost started."   
"Yes."   
"There's only one problem."   
"Name it."   
"We can't eat her."   
Hannibal's brow twitched as though he was about to frown, but fought to keep his face passive.   
"Why not?"   
"I know you want to, especially after I denied you that pleasure, but, think about it. She's investigating the possibility that you and I are, in fact, alive. How would it look if she suddenly showed up dead with her organs missing, her body displayed like a piece of art in a museum?"   
Hannibal grinned at the compliment, but he also nodded.   
"You do have a point."   
"I mean, we could make it look like a copycat. Especially if I was the one who killed her."   
"Would you really deny me that small joy? You got to do it before."   
"Yes, but I didn't actually kill her."   
Hannibal sighed and rolled his eyes.   
"I know. But you see my point, don't you?"   
"You know I do, but I think my point is still valid."   
"Okay. Say I agreed to let you take Ms Lounds' life. How would we do it?"   
"We could make it look like a home invasion gone wrong? Or stick with the copycat idea, that way we would be able to..."   
Will gestured at Hannibal, who smirked again.   
" _Harvest_ her."   
"Yes, that, but without adding all of your particular flourishes."   
"I do like the first plan. The excuse for more violence is always a more exhilarating experience."   
Will grinned and shook his head.   
"You never cease to amaze me, Doctor."   
"Me? You're the one who announced that we had to kill Freddie Lounds. I am just as stunned as you are."   
Will shrugged off his coat and tugged off his scarf.   
"So, when should we do it?"   
"How about tomorrow?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> okay this is probably an absolute disaster of a chapter. i am so, so sorry.

"Are you completely sure that this plan of yours is going to work?"   
"Yes. I have total faith in myself."   
It didn't even bother Will that every time he looked over at Hannibal, all he saw was the Wendigo. It also didn't worry him that every time they stopped he saw the Stag. He had been smiling since they had set off that afternoon, and it was contagious; two hours before they reached Baltimore, Hannibal was smiling too. They even sang along to the radio together, a fire in their eyes and murder on their minds. It had taken them less than an hour to come up with a plan for getting rid of Freddie Lounds, and they had gone to be early in order to be rested enough for the day ahead.   
Poor Freddie had no idea that her day was about to come to a dramatic and painfilled end. 

Will had visited enough crime scenes to know the basic ins and outs of a home invasion, and as he was a criminal profiler, most of the ones he had seen were a blood bath. It would be easy to make it appear that Freddie was simply a victim of a crime, rather than a targeted attack...as long as both of them were able to behave themselves. Will knew that Hannibal wanted to leave his usual trademark, and Hannibal knew that Will was likely to lose himself in the excitement of his first planned kill and accidentally leave incriminating evidence. They had talked about how they would cover their tracks, but there was always the risk that something would go wrong.   
Before they crossed the Baltimore state line, Will pulled into a filling station and turned off the engine. Hannibal waited a full minute before asking Will what was wrong.   
"Just...going back to Baltimore. It feels...wrong."   
"In what way?"   
"Like I don't belong here anymore. I gave up this part of my life in order to be with you."   
Will glanced over to Hannibal, then looked outside again.   
"Would it be easier for you to return to Baltimore as the Will Graham you were when we first met?"   
"How do you mean?"   
Hannibal nodded to Will's hands, which were still gripping the steering wheel.   
"Your wedding ring."   
Will looked at his hand and couldn't believe he was still wearing it. He was sure he had thrown it away in the woods behind the cabin, but he supposed that was just a dream he had had. He let go of the steering wheel and turned the ring round and round his finger.   
"Do you really think it would make a difference?"   
"It was merely a suggestion."   
Will looked down at the ring again, then back to Hannibal.   
"It would be quite significant."   
"That it would."   
Will had a feeling that Hannibal had wanted to say something about his ring for some time. After all, he had worn it every time they had kissed or embraced, not to mention the fact that it was there the whole time they made love for the first time. It might have been a reminder for the other male that Will was still married, and that it wasn't to him.   
"Is it a sore spot for you, Hannibal?"   
Without looking at Will, Hannibal nodded.   
"Oh."   
Will looked down at his ring again. He stared at it again for a few moments before lifting his head once more. He was about to add another comment, but the Stag was staring at him through the windshield and it made him forget what he was going to say. Instead, he rolled the window down, yanked his ring off rather roughly, and tossed it out the window. He didn't even need to look at Hannibal to know the man was smiling, and he started the engine again and pulled back onto the highway. They were silent as they drove into Baltimore, Will having kept the radio off since the filling station. It hadn't taken Hannibal very long to determine where Freddie was living, and they headed there without hesitation. Though they had no idea if she would actually be home or not, it was worth the risk just to get it done quickly. The more she looked into Will and Hannibal's possible location, the more likely she was to find them.   
When they parked down the street from Freddie's mediocre house, Hannibal had turned to Will to speak, only to be pulled into a hard kiss. When Will pulled back, Hannibal ran his tongue over his gums, sure that Will had made him bleed.   
"What was that for?"   
"Just in case."   
"In case of what, Will? I thought you had complete faith in yourself?"   
"I do but...you never know. I wouldn't want to die knowing I hadn't kissed you one last time."   
"In that case, perhaps we should do it properly."   
Hannibal then pulled Will close again, his hand resting on Will's neck as their lips met once more. When they broke apart again, Will let out a hum. Hannibal chuckled.   
"Later, dear, William. Later."   
He patted Will's neck, then climbed out of the car. Will grabbed the bag from the backseat and got out as well, locking the doors before joining Hannibal's side. They glanced both ways up the street, glad it was just a tad too cold for people to go out for an after-dinner walk, then split up, slipping on a pair of gloves each. Hannibal was to go to Freddie's front door while Will slipped in through the back. Will had suggested that they work the other way around, but Hannibal had stated he was greatly looking forwards to the surprised look on Ms Lounds's face.   
And surprised she was. So surprised, in fact, that she simply stared at Hannibal's smiling face, unable to utter a single sound.   
"Your silence is music to my ears, Ms Lounds."   
Hannibal stepped forwards and Freddie stepped back, giving him access to her hallway. He closed the front door behind him just as Will stepped up beside Freddie. She opened her mouth to scream, but Will covered her mouth with his hand. She struggled, of course, but with Will and Hannibal's combined strength she was easily subdued. By the time she was gagged and bound to a chair, the three of them were out of breath.   
"I'm glad you're putting up a fight."   
"Me too."   
Will stood next to Hannibal and crossed his arms.   
"If I remove your gag, will you promise not to scream?"   
Freddie shrugged; Will and Hannibal laughed.   
"Thinking your wit will get you through this, Ms Lounds?"   
Freddie shrugged again. Will disappeared into the kitchen.   
"I have no doubt that you know why we're here. We read your articles. Your detective work is more impressive than that of the FBI. Perhaps you should have considered a new career choice."   
Freddie watched Hannibal; her face was passive, but there was no mistaking that stink of fear that was coming from her. She knew why they were there. How could she not?   
"I especially liked the part contributed by my dear, Bedelia Du Maurier. I would simply love to know how you got her to say those things. Or...did you make the entire story up?"   
Freddie's eyebrow rose and fell. Hannibal nodded.   
"Of course. How silly of me to believe she would waste her time talking to someone like you. But, no matter. Ms Du Maurier will be visited by us in due course."   
Will returned with the sharpest knives he could find. He handed one to Hannibal who examined the blade.   
Freddie turned her attention to Will, and he could tell she was smiling at him. The look in her eyes made him pull the gag from her mouth and crouch beside her, holding the tip of the knife he had against her temple.   
"How did you get Molly to talk to you?"   
"She came to me of her own volition."   
"Bullshit."   
Hearing Will swear made Hannibal smile.   
"She did. I've heard through the grapevine that she's been obsessed with proving you're both still alive. You the most, of course, Mister Graham."   
Freddie didn't take her eyes off of Will for a moment.   
"She's obviously not wrong, though I do believe she's starting to lose touch with reality. You know; go a little crazy."   
Will didn't react; he couldn't let her provoke him. He didn't want to relinquish control.   
"I'm starting to see what she saw in you in the first place. Only a mentally imbalanced person could ever love something like you."   
Freddie glanced at Hannibal briefly, but her attention was brought back to Will as he traced over the side of her face with the cold tip of the blade.   
"You think you're better than me? Spinning your little web of falsehoods and deceit? Not caring who gets caught up in it all?"   
"You're one to talk about falsehoods and deceit, Mister Graham."   
"The whole world thinks I'm dead."   
"Not the whole world."   
Freddie's eyes narrowed when she replied. Hannibal forced the gag back in her mouth.   
"We didn't come here to swap stories, Will."   
"I know."   
Will studied Freddie's face for a few more moments, then got back to his feet.   
"You watch her."   
Hannibal nodded as Will left the room. He studied his knife again as he heard Will moving through the little house, ransacking each room, making it look like someone had been there in search for something. They had decided to take only a handful of items, most likely jewellery. It would be easier to dispose of.   
While Will was distracted, Hannibal stepped closer to Freddie. There was a sudden flash of silver and Freddie let out a muffled cry of pain, a thin cut appearing on the side of her face. Hannibal stooped and licked from her chin to her temple, relishing the taste of the woman's fear on his tongue. Freddie looked up at him with undisguised hatred in her eyes, and Hannibal could only grin as he took a tissue from the coffee table and wiped her face. He tucked the tissue in his pocket, then waited for Will to return.   
He didn't have to wait long, and Will's obvious excitement was as contagious as his smiling had been.   
"Shall we?"   
Hannibal turned to Will.   
"Certainly, Doctor."   
Will then stepped behind Freddie and untied her, pausing for a few moments before actually releasing her to allow himself and Hannibal a moment to prepare themselves. As expected, Freddie dove for Hannibal's knife and he quickly side stepped, meaning that she swiped at air. She drew in a breath to scream as she turned to run, but Will clenched it fist and drove it hard into her throat, preventing any sound from escaping. Freddie's hands went to her throat as her eyes widened and she let out a series of choking sounds as she tried to pull in a full breath. She staggered towards the hallway, but Will grabbed her hair and yanked her back into the room, throwing her down against the sofa. Still gasping for breath, unable to make a sound and utterly terrified, Freddie rolled from the sofa onto the floor. Her hands moved from her throat and she felt around for something she could grab, anything, a blunt object or something she could throw, but Hannibal delivered a swift kick to her stomach which sent her onto her side, doubled up in pain. Her mouth was open in a silent scream as Will pulled her to her feet and punched her in the same place Hannibal had kicked. She bent again, so Will straightened her with a swift tug on her hair, and punched her again. He repeated that action until Freddie fell to the floor again, blood dripping from her lips. Hannibal then lifted her and threw her bodily across the room. She landed heavily against a bookshelf, and the two men took their time walking around the chair they had bound her to, to reach her. She was struggling to get to her feet, still unable to make a sound. When she felt Will standing behind her, she turned herself as though to attack him, but he kicked her back down again. She then started dragging herself across the floor, her nails scraping into the carpet. That was when Will brought his knife down, the blade disappearing into the middle of her back. She managed to let out a grunt of pain, and her first instinct was to reach around and try to remove it; Will did that for her. He stabbed her again, a bit lower down this time, slicing straight through her kidney. That was when Hannibal stepped forwards, and as Will pulled out his knife again, Hannibal seized Freddie's arms and turned her round. Will took a couple steps back as Hannibal straddled Freddie's legs. The fear in her eyes was just as satisfying as he hoped it would be, and as he stabbed her left side, between her ribs and stomach, the pain that he saw intensified. He twisted the blade and Freddie coughed up more blood, but the thing he was most amazed by was her apparent unwillingness to give up yet; she continued to fight, even though she knew that there was no way she would survive the night. He wrenched his knife free, then stabbed her in the chest. As he retracted the knife again, he watched as Freddie's carpet was soaked in crimson; the once white surface forever changed by his and Will's vengeance. He glanced round at Will before slitting Freddie's throat, leaning back to avoid the spray of blood. As Freddie's body convulsed on the floor, Hannibal got to his feet and joined Will, who was glad they had the sense to cover their shoes before they got out of the jeep. Their clothes were a different matter, of course, but it wouldn't be an issue getting rid of them. Everything they needed was either in the bag in Freddie's kitchen or in the jeep.   
"I thought you wanted to harvest her."   
"I still do."   
"Then why aren't you?"   
"Because it's rude to interrupt a masterpiece."   
Hannibal watched Freddie as her body slowed, then stilled.   
"This isn't usually how you work."   
Hannibal smiled at Will before moving to Freddie once again.   
"Exactly."   
Will chuckled and shook his head, then left the room, as Hannibal cut Freddie open from navel to chin. Will returned a few moments later, returning with the bag from the kitchen, and he watched as Hannibal felt around inside Freddie for a few moments before cutting out the only thing he had decided he wanted; her heart.   
"Just to prove that she has one."   
Will chuckled, ready with the bag of ice he had prepared, taking the frozen cubes from Freddie's own dispenser. Hannibal slipped the organ in the bag then sealed it as Will opened a box. Inside this box was another heart, which Hannibal pushed into the space he had created within Freddie's chest. They had brought it with them all the way from Williamsport, and Hannibal had selected it carefully. Though it wasn't the same size or weight as Freddie's, it was the closest likeness that they could get.   
Will then packed the bags away and stood, looking down at Freddie's body. Her eyes were still wide open, but there was nothing behind them. No more pain, no more fear, nothing that Will could empathise with at all. She would no longer poison people's minds, ruin people's careers or stick her nose in where it simply shouldn't have been. Most importantly, Molly wouldn't continue searching for a man that just didn't want to be found.   
While Will was standing there, lost in thought, Hannibal had been going around the room, checking. When he was satisfied there was nothing that would link either him or Will to being there, he grabbed Will's hands and inspected his gloves.   
"What're you doing?"   
"Checking for injuries, splits in the gloves, anything."   
Will let Hannibal look for a few more moments before speaking.   
"Well?"   
"Nothing."   
Hannibal looked up at Will, whose face was still flush with excitement.   
"Do you mind that I killed her?"   
"No. Watching was enough."   
Hannibal smiled at Will, then released his hands and started towards the front door. Will picked up their bag and followed, stopping behind Hannibal as the other male checked the make sure they wouldn't be spotted. Obviously satisfied that the street was empty, and that nobody was looking out of their windows, Hannibal stepped into the night. Will followed, not seeing any point in closing the front door. They removed the covers from their shoes just before they stepped onto the street, bunched them together and tucked them in the bag. When they reached the jeep, Will removed one of his gloves and unlocked the vehicle. He opened the back-passenger side door and set their bag in a trash bag before stashing it behind the driver seat. He then took off his other glove and handed it to Hannibal who stowed it away in the trash bag as well. Will reached across and pulled out two plastic sheets which he used to cover the driver and passenger seats before he climbed into the jeep and started the engine.   
"Did I do that right?"   
"Yes."   
"Did we forget anything?"   
"Yes."   
Suddenly panicked, Will looked at Hannibal.   
"What?!"   
"Check your mirrors."   
Hannibal grinned. Will scowled.   
"Not funny."   
"Yes, it was."   
Still scowling, Will pulled onto the road and started the journey back to the cabin. They had left the neighbourhood behind ten minutes after the police were called, and by the time Jack Crawford was on the scene, they were well on their way home.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is atrocious. don't hate me too much u.u

On the drive back, Will chose a random spot to roll his window down and throw out Freddie's jewellery. He didn't care if anybody ever found it, and besides, it wasn't like the FBI would travel this far just to look for stolen items. They would most likely hit the local pawn brokers and places like that; the side of a highway wasn't the typical place to buy or sell such things. He also almost crashed the jeep three times due to Hannibal reaching across from the passenger side and squeezing Will's thigh. The first time it was more out of surprise, but the second and third times were because Hannibal's grip was inches away from Will's length. Each time he just grinned to himself as Will swerved, letting out a yelp. The last hour of their drive was uneventful, and Will was able to focus on getting them back to the cabin in one piece.   
They waited till they got back to the cabin to get rid of everything else, shedding their clothes and stashing them in the trash bag, after removing the important contents, of course. The trash bag then sat outside the front door; they'd deal with it in the morning. It had been Hannibal's idea to wear clothes bought from the local thrift store, and he was more than happy to get rid of the trousers he'd been wearing.   
"They were hideous."   
"What else do you want for thirty cents?"   
Hannibal shot Will a look.   
"They were in the bargain bin."   
"What else do you want for thirty cents?"   
"I can't believe I let that fabric touch my body."   
"Do I have to say it for a third time?"   
Hannibal tutted impatiently.   
"Would you rather have ruined a pair of your own trousers?"   
"No, I suppose not."   
"There you go, then."   
The two of them fetched their pyjamas from the bedroom (Hannibal's, of course, being actual pyjamas, Will's merely being his underwear and a t-shirt) and headed into the bathroom together. Hannibal reached into the shower and turned it on, then set his clothes on the hamper. He then turned to Will.   
"You did very well tonight."   
"I'm glad you think so."   
Will set his clothes on top of Hannibal's and tested the warmth of the water. He was about to step under it when Hannibal took his hand and pulled him close. He stroked Will's cheek with his knuckles.   
"I'm proud of you, Will. Allowing yourself to be true to yourself whenever you see fit."   
"You bring out the best in me, Doctor Lecter."   
Hannibal smiled, then wrapped his arms round Will's shoulders and kissed him lovingly.   
"You're coming along much better than I could have anticipated."   
Will continued to smile as Hannibal curled some of his hair round his fingertips. They gazed at each other for a few more moments before they kissed again, bringing all of that passion and exhilaration of the evening back to the surface. Hannibal walked Will backwards into the shower, closing the sliding door behind them. He then pinned Will against the wall, holding him there almost effortlessly with one arm across his chest. He reached for the shower gel, squeezed some out on Will's shoulders, then moved his arm and rubbed the gel into Will's skin till it formed a lather. Will couldn't help but chuckle.   
"And here was me thinking we were about to do something else."   
"I need you clean, first."   
Hannibal smirked and pushed Will under the running water before starting to clean himself off.   
"So, you get me all excited then push me away?"   
"It's simply a short interval, Will. Don't fret."   
They continued showering without much spoken between them. Will was, of course, finished before Hannibal was, and he spent the minute or so waiting for Hannibal by leaning against the wall, watching him. The man brought grace to everything that he did, even washing himself.   
After what seemed like an eternity (to Will, anyway), Hannibal turned off the shower and opened the sliding door.   
"Shall we?"   
Will pushed himself away from the wall and followed the other male, not bothering to grab a towel; Hannibal didn't either.   
"I'll meet you on the sofa."   
"Ohh, the sofa, huh?"   
Will smirked, then left the bathroom and headed for the living room. He didn't sit; instead he got a fire started. When he stood up and turned he realised Hannibal had been watching him the entire time.   
"Love by firelight. How romantic."   
"I'm a romantic man."   
"Ahh, but I'm the one who brought you a heart."   
"That's very true."   
Hannibal casually tossed what Will knew to be lube onto the sofa as he crossed the room. He ran his fingertips over Will's chest, down over his stomach and circling around his navel.   
"If I had known that it would take us killing a psychopath together for us to be like this, I would have suggested we do it sooner."   
Will chuckled and took Hannibal's hand in both of his, then brought it to his lips and kissed Hannibal's knuckles.   
"You're forgetting that we also needed to die."   
"Ah! Of course. How silly of me."   
Hannibal gently brushed his knuckles against Will's lips again before Will let go of his hand. He then pulled Will against him and kissed him. Will practically melted into the kiss, slipping his arms around Hannibal's waist. Hannibal's kisses were tender, loving, slow, and the soft groans coming from Will showed just how much he was enjoying them. He gripped Hannibal's waist tighter, then started walking backwards towards the sofa. When his calves hit the solid structure he broke the kiss, then looked at Hannibal.   
"What do you want of me, Will?"   
Will swallowed, then looked at the sofa briefly before looking back to Hannibal.   
"Sit...please."   
Hannibal did as he was told, making sure he didn't sit on the small tube he had brought in. Will then got onto his knees before pushing Hannibal's legs apart.   
"I've thought about doing this all day."   
Hannibal's eyebrow rose and he smirked slightly.   
Will wasted no time at all in doing what he set out to; he got himself settled between Hannibal's legs and gripped his length. He stroked a few times before flicking his tongue out over the slit. Hannibal groaned and let his head roll back, though he didn't keep his eyes off of Will for too long. He ran his fingers through Will's hair again, unable to resist those curls.   
Will took Hannibal's length in his mouth and started sucking, stroking in time as well. He hummed around Hannibal's growing erection as he began bobbing his head faster, hollowing his cheeks. He looked up at Hannibal and didn't shift his gaze as he increased his pace. Hannibal, tugged on Will's hair, but he also ended up gripping the arm of the sofa tightly, rolling his hips up to meet Will's mouth. His moans were coming thick and fast, and he let out a whimper just like Will's when the other male stopped what he was doing.   
Hannibal kept his head resting against the back of the sofa as he got his breath back. Will kissed over Hannibal's inner thigh, then over his stomach. He squeezed Hannibal's erection once or twice for good measure, making the other male tense and moan.   
Will licked his lips and looked up at Hannibal, who had a smile on his face.   
"What? Am I better at that than you thought I would be?"   
"Yes, actually."   
Will chuckled, then pushed himself up and kissed Hannibal as he climbed onto his lap. He rolled his hips down, to which Hannibal's response was to roll his own up.   
"If I didn't know it would be unwise to do so, I'd think you were teasing me, Will."   
"What if I was?"   
"I might have to punish you for it."   
Hannibal's words made Will's length twitch and he bit his bottom lip. Hannibal ran his hands over Will's thighs and squeezed his backside.   
"But there are so many options at my disposal that I would have a hard time choosing."   
"Why don't you just fuck me and get it over with?"   
Will whispered. Hannibal's eyebrows rose.   
"Why, Will! That's the second cuss I've heard you utter this evening. What's gotten into you?"   
"You love it when I swear."   
"As a matter of fact, I do."   
Hannibal kissed Will again, then squeezed his backside once more. Will continued rolling his hips down, the friction between his length and Hannibal's stomach making him moan. Hannibal reached over and lifted the lube, squeezed some out on his fingers and immediately worked them against Will's entrance.   
"That's cold!"   
Hannibal took the opportunity that Will's throat was exposed to lean forwards and bite him, not too hard, just enough to leave a mark. Will let out a cry, his body jerking upwards slightly. Hannibal then sucked on Will's neck, kissed it and ran his tongue up to Will's ear as he pushed a finger into him. Will shuddered and moaned again, relinquishing control to Hannibal again, at least for the time being. Hannibal worked his finger inside Will then slowly added a second digit, all the while kissing as much of Will as he could reach. Soon enough, Will was panting, holding onto Hannibal's shoulders tightly. He looked down at the other as Hannibal added another digit and Will let out a loud moan, his body shaking.   
"Well look at you, Will. Trembling like a leaf."   
"...your fingers...so good..."   
Hannibal grinned, then took one of Will's nipples in his mouth and grazed his teeth over the sensitive bud. Will let out another cry, arching his back again and Hannibal took this moment to repeatedly rub against Will's prostate. Will's hips bucked and his grip on Hannibal's shoulders tightened. The more Hannibal worked his fingers against Will, the louder the other moaned until he raised his hands, then slapped them down on Hannibal's shoulders before gripping them tightly again. His nails pushed into Hannibal's skin, leaving red marks in their wake.   
"Hannibal, please!"   
Will looked down at the other male with longing before burying his face in Hannibal's neck. Hannibal obliged, taking his fingers out of Will and stroking his length before positioning himself against the other male. He pushed in slowly, though not as slow as their first time. Will rolled his hips downwards with a groan, not giving up his grip on Hannibal for even a moment. He used his position to his obvious advantage, pushing his knees into the sofa and raising his hips before bringing them down again. Within minutes their bodies were beaded with sweat, and they panted into each other's mouths as their lips met again. Hannibal wrapped his arms around Will, bringing their chests closer. Their hearts were beating in perfect unison and Hannibal moved a hand to rest his palm over Will's chest. Will's first instinct was to wrap his own hand around Hannibal's fingers, his other hand moving to grip the back of the sofa to better anchor himself with.   
Hannibal kissed over Will's chest, dragging his bottom lip over Will's skin, paying particular attention to the scars on his shoulders again. He looked up at Will's upturned chin, knowing the look on Will's face was pure ecstasy, then sunk his teeth into Will's clavicle, leaving more of a mark on the soft, fleshy part. Will let out another cry, his hips bucking once more, and he looked down at Hannibal. Their eyes met until Hannibal took a handful of Will's hair and tugged his head back, forcing him to arch. He then resumed his nipping at Will's chest, tugging his skin. Whimpers and moans streaming from Will's mouth and Hannibal ran his tongue over the areas he'd bitten.   
Will worked his hips a few more times before he came, arching forwards, his lips inches away from Hannibal's ear. He let out a low moan as his own orgasm rose, shortly followed by another when he felt Hannibal release inside him. He sank against the other male, his face buried in Hannibal's shoulder, which he showered with kisses. Hannibal held Will against him, both of them breathing heavy.   
They very nearly fell asleep on the sofa, still entwined together, but Abby seemed to have had enough of them not paying attention to her. She hopped onto the sofa and pawed at Will's back, which made him open his eyes and chuckle.   
"I think someone's hungry."   
"Quite possibly."   
Hannibal looked down at Abby, who was now mewing and rubbing herself against the sofa cushions.   
"We should probably head to bed anyway."   
"Yes. It wouldn't be wise to fall asleep here."   
Will let out a sleepy sigh.   
"As nice as it would be..."   
He let out a whine, then climbed off of Hannibal and got to his feet. Abby immediately darted off the sofa and trotted into the kitchen.   
"I'll go."   
Hannibal pushed himself to his feet, letting out a grunt. He gently ran his hand over the small of Will's back as he passed, and as Will moved to the bathroom to clean himself up, he was sure he saw Hannibal run a finger through the mess Will had made on his stomach, then bring it to his mouth.


	22. Chapter 22

"Do you think Ms Lounds knew her attackers?"   
"It's unclear if she did or not, but she certainly put up a fight, regardless."   
"Good."   
Jack, Brian and Jimmy all looked down at Freddie Lounds' corpse. They had investigated the crime scene thoroughly. Whoever had done it had covered their tracks very well; they found no hair or fingerprints, as well as no discernible footprints. It very much looked like a home invasion, but with a tragic end. However, something didn't quite sit right with Jack, who believed it was pre-meditated.   
"She's made herself lots of enemies over the years."   
"Yeah, but would anyone hate her enough to do _this?_ "   
Brian indicated to Freddie's body.   
"Surely if somebody held that much of a grudge they would just go around and shoot her in the head?"   
"Unless that somebody really wanted her to suffer for what she had written."   
Brian had to agree with Jimmy's statement.   
"But of all the things she's written, why now? Why when she's talking about Hannibal?"   
"Did either of you read the article?"   
Jack was leaning against a workbench, arms folded, running his hand over his chin.   
"I did."   
Brian thought about it for a few moments. Jimmy shook his head.   
"I haven't had a chance to."   
"Ms Lounds made some rather interesting insights into the Lecter/Graham case. Her logic was sound."   
"But flawed, right? There's no way Hannibal or Will are still alive?"   
Jimmy pulled a face.   
"There's a slight chance they survived...but with the injury that Hannibal sustained I can't imagine he would have made it very far without going to a hospital. That was something neither Ms Lounds nor Mrs Graham took into consideration."   
"And we would have picked them up by now."   
"Exactly."   
Jack sighed and shook his head.   
"Tell me about her."   
He indicated to Freddie Lounds. Jimmy spoke as he cross referenced his notes.   
"She was bound and gagged, which we knew from the crime scene anyway. During this time her invaders went through the house. I'm assuming they found whatever they were looking for, but without Freddie's input we can't know for sure."   
Jack nodded. Brian continued.   
"They used her own knives against her, which either shows that they weren't very well prepared, or thought about it beforehand. It would be a lot harder to successfully get rid of their own weapons. There were no prints on either, unfortunately. Not even a partial."   
"At least they had the insight to wear gloves."   
"As well as shoe covers, given that there were no obvious shoe prints in Freddie's blood."   
"Would they have been wearing something to cover their clothing?"   
"Possibly. I would even say probably. Even at that time of night walking down the street covered in blood would attract attention from someone."   
"That's true."   
"They cut her face. Or _he_ cut her face. What's your theory on that, Jim?"   
"I don't really have one, unless they wanted to make another statement in that."   
"Which could be anything, so is it really important?"   
Brian and Jimmy looked at one another before continuing.   
"Given the trauma to the larynx we can safely assume whoever attacked her punched her in the throat to stop her from screaming. They untied her for their own sick amusement, I suppose. It would have been just as easy to kill her while she was sitting there. It would also have been easy to just leave her there till someone found her."   
"She saw their faces."   
"True."   
"Given the bruising on her back and stomach she was most likely beaten, but she still wouldn't have been able to make a sound. One of her attackers stabbed her twice in the back, piercing her kidney. The same one, or the other-…"   
"I'd say the other. He knew what he was doing."   
"...the other attacker then got her on her back and stabbed her in the side, then slit her throat."   
Jack shook his head. He hadn't ever really _liked_ Freddie Lounds, but he certainly hadn't wished her dead. Not like this. This wasn't just pre-meditated murder as far as he was concerned; this was torture. But why?   
"While she was still alive, though barely alive, given her injuries and the amount of blood she lost, they cut her open."   
"Yes, yes. Tell me about this heart, Brian."   
The three men walked to another table; the heart was sitting upon it.   
"It's not human, is it?"   
"No, but it's the closest to a human heart you'll find. It belongs to a pig."   
"A _pig?_ "   
Jimmy nodded.   
"They were _definitely_ sending a message in this."   
"They believed Ms Lounds was a pig."   
Jimmy nodded again.   
"I wonder what they did, or will do, with her actual heart."   
"We can only imagine. I'm amazed they went to the effort of removing hers only to replace it. Though, I have to admit, it did throw me off."   
"Same here. Everything was pretty run-of-the-mill until I pulled this out. Very odd indeed."   
"Either these invaders have been reading too much horror, or we've got an extremely disgruntled pair running about, most likely slandered by Freddie in one way or another."   
Jack rubbed his temples.   
"Looks like I've got some reading to do. Thanks for your work, gentlemen. Keep me updated if you happen to notice anything else."   
"Will do, Jack, but I can't guarantee we'll find anything." 

-/- 

"Dead?"   
Molly clutched the collar of her shirt, her other hand squeezing the phone receiver.   
"But...I don't understand..."   
She listened, looking worried, as Walt played with his dinner. His mother had been somewhat normal since she'd started talking to Freddie Lounds, or as close to normal as she could be. But now he had a horrible feeling about things. It sounded like Freddie wouldn't be coming over anymore.   
"Oh...oh my..."   
Yup, definitely wouldn't be coming over anymore. Molly had thought she was keeping Freddie and Walt at a distance from one another, but he'd quickly put two and two together; who else would Freddie get all the information about Will from?   
"Yes. Thank you for letting me know, Jack. Thank you. Goodbye."   
Molly hung up the phone, then leaned against the wall. Walt was about to ask her if everything was okay, but she hurried off upstairs. He heard a door slam and let out a heavy sigh; things were certainly not returning to normal any time soon. 

-/- 

Another fortnight passed, and instead of forgetting the work she had been doing with Freddie Lounds, Molly had continued with earnest. Walt was almost looking after himself as well as his mother, reminding her to eat, making his own lunches for school. He called Jack almost every evening, just so he had someone to talk to about his school day. The only real positive for the boy was that he could watch whatever he wanted on TV. That was until, one afternoon, Molly came downstairs and smiled at him.   
"We're going on a trip."   
"Where? I've got school tomorrow."   
"Not anymore you don't. I've called your Principle and sorted the whole thing out."   
Walt turned off the TV and looked at his mother properly. She actually seemed coherent. She was at least freshly showered.   
"So...where are we going?"   
"Oh, just...across the country a little."   
"We're looking for dad, aren't we?"   
"We certainly are! Freddie had a few leads that she didn't have a chance to catch up on, and that's what we're going to do till we find Will."   
When Walt didn't show her enthusiasm for the plan, Molly sat on the sofa and took Walt's hands in hers.   
"I just want us to be a family again, Walt, that's all."   
"And if it turns out that he really is dead?"   
Molly swallowed and her eyes filled with tears. She nodded, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.   
"Then we'll just come straight back home and start moving on with our lives."   
Walt didn't have the heart to tell her that he had already come to terms with Will's death, so he just smiled at her.   
"I only want you to be happy, mom."   
He pulled his mother into a hug and gently rubbed her back, though he had a sinking feeling in his stomach all the same; what if Will _was_ still alive, just like Freddie and his mother thought? And what he _had_ been with Hannibal all this time? 

-/- 

Will's confidence in impressing Hannibal in the kitchen had improved greatly, and he had insisted on at least making lunch for them both every day. He'd spent the entire morning fishing, and had caught two good sized fish and announced upon his return that he was making lunch. Hannibal stopped what he had been doing immediately and stepped out of the kitchen with a grin.   
"Very well. I'll have to refrain from interfering."   
"Yes, you will."   
Will kissed Hannibal before stepping into the kitchen and getting everything ready. He switched on the radio as he started working, preparing the fish then the vegetables. Hannibal couldn't resist standing in the kitchen doorway and watching, silently, as he usually did. Will had his back to him, and he was tapping his foot along to the radio. Hannibal was also sure he was singing under his breath, which brought a smile to his lips. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, taking in Will's form. Since their escape he had always expected things to go wrong between the two of them, and he still sometimes suspected that Will was merely playing along for Hannibal's benefit, but as he watched Will he found himself wondering what he was so worried about. Things were clearly wonderful, for the both of them.   
The tempo of the music on the radio changed, from something with a beat to a much slower love ballad. Will swayed in time with the music, and Hannibal simply couldn't stand there any longer. He stepped up behind Will and wrapped his arms around the male's stomach, resting his head against Will's. He swayed along with Will, who held onto Hannibal's forearms tightly, letting his head sink back a little. Will closed his eyes as they danced, letting himself fall into the security he felt whenever he was in Hannibal's arms, and Hannibal placed small kisses over Will's throat, getting lost in the scent of the other male's skin. It was only when the song ended and the radio announcer started speaking that Will opened his eyes. He turned his head and kissed Hannibal, who then pulled back and smiled.


	23. Chapter 23

"Mom..."   
"Yes, honey?"   
"What sort of leads did Freddie have?"   
"Information on people who saw them, of course."   
"But how? How far did she go?"   
Molly stopped packing the car and looked at Walt.   
"What do you mean, how far?"   
"Well did she travel to places and just ask around or did she actually have...like... _evidence_?"   
"Honestly, I never asked her."   
Walt looked at the folder of information that Molly had handed him; it was full, almost to bursting, with paper, every scrap of which was written on. Most of it was in handwriting he didn't recognise, but some was his mother's.   
"But what if those people _lied_?"   
Molly let out an exasperated groan.   
"Walt, if you're not going to help me, just get in the car."   
She snatched the folder off of him and stowed it under the driver's seat. She then turned to the house, which was all locked. There were only three dogs left to take to the kennels, and one of them was Winston. He didn't look happy.   
"Mom..."   
"What?"   
Walt looked at the ground, then back up to his mother.   
"Can't we take just one dog?"   
"You know we can't."   
"Please."   
"No."   
" _Please_!"   
Molly sighed, then looked up, straight into Winston's face. She let out another groan.   
"Fine. Just one."   
"Yay!"   
Walt climbed into the car and gave Winston some fuss; it seemed he'd picked already. 

-/- 

"Well?"   
Jack looked at Brian, then Jimmy. The two men nodded at one another before turning back to Jack.   
"Maybe an overly zealous fan."   
"...a fan?"   
Jack's eyebrow rose.   
"Of Hannibal Lecter's."   
Jack looked between the two men, barely willing to comprehend what they were saying.   
"You think a fan of Doctor Lecter's did this to Freddie Lounds?"   
"It's a possibility. Someone who thought maybe he deserved to rest in peace."   
"A fan of a psychotic cannibal?"   
Brian let out a sigh.   
"I told you he wouldn't like it."   
"You're damn right I don't like it!"   
Jack's voice rose several levels. There were probably people in the parking lot outside that had jumped.   
"Some whack job gets it into his head that Hannibal Lecter was worth more than Freddie Lounds' life, and you act like it's the most acceptable thing in the world!"   
"Well, I didn't say that-…"   
"You didn't say otherwise!"   
Jimmy and Brian looked at each other again. Jack pointed at them both, opened his mouth to say something, then gave up. He shook his head and left, heading straight back to his office. 

-/- 

"Will, I've been thinking."   
Will grunted his response, still buried under the duvet.   
"I want to visit Bedelia."   
Will grunted again; it looked like he curled up a little bit more. Hannibal frowned and stepped into the room.   
"Will, what's wrong?"   
"I think I'b sick."   
"Oh."   
Hannibal sat himself on the bed and gently pulled the duvet off of Will's face. He certainly didn't look well; his eyes were red, as was his nose. Will sniffed and looked up at Hannibal, who placed his palm on Will's forehead.   
"You are a little warm, Will. Looks like you've got a cold."   
"Is dat your brofessional obindion?"   
Hannibal attempted to fight off a smile, but he couldn't quite manage it. The corners of his lips turned upwards and Will let out a groan, snatching the duvet off him and covering his head.   
"Oh, Will, it's only a cold. You'll be fine in a few days."   
Will grunted.   
"Would you like some tea?"   
"Yes."   
Hannibal got off the bed and set about making Will feel better; he made him some tea and poured him a glass of orange juice. He also found some cold and flu tablets and carried it all to Will on a tray. Will peered out of the duvet, then sat himself up as best as he could. He coughed into his hand and sniffed again. Hannibal handed him a tissue.   
"Here, take these."   
Will blew his nose, then took the tablets with a mouthful of orange juice. A satisfied groan left his mouth and he looked at Hannibal again.   
"What did you day about Bedelia?"   
"It can wait."   
Hannibal leaned into kiss Will's forehead, but the other male pulled back with a sound of protest.   
"No! You'd geb it doo!"   
"Will, the incubation period for a cold is up to seventy-two hours, and we've shared a bed in that time. If I was going to get it, I would have it."   
Will sulked; Hannibal fluffed his hair.   
"You just drink your tea. We have to keep you hydrated."   
Hannibal then stood up, moving the tray to the bedside table. Will got himself settled under the covers again, his hands wrapped around his glass of juice. Hannibal looked at him before he left the room.   
"I'll make you some breakfast. Could you eat?"   
"Yeah."   
"Alright then." 

Later on that day, as Hannibal brought Will his dinner, Will pushed himself up into a better sitting position and looked seriously at Hannibal.   
"Whatever is the matter, Will?"   
"You mentioned Bedelia this morninb. Why?"   
Hannibal handed Will his tray, then sat on the bed. Did he want to potentially excite a sick man?   
"I wanted to go and visit her."   
"Why?"   
"She and I have unfinished business."   
"Unfibnished buidness?"   
"Yes. While we were in Florence, I began preparations to make her more palatable."   
"Oh."   
Will took the lid off his bowl of soup and let out a laugh that quickly turned into a coughing fit. Hannibal steadied the tray so none of it spilled onto the bed covers.   
"I trust you remember this particular dish?"   
"Your fancy chicken soup. I remember."   
"Silkie chicken in broth. It's so much more than just chicken soup, Will."   
"It's still chicken, and it's still soup."   
Will lifted his spoon and started slowly eating. Hannibal watched Will's movements, his eyes focused on Will's fingers and his lips. Will eventually let out a grunt.   
"Do you hab to watch be?"   
"My apologies. I can't help it."   
"So, what about Bedelia?"   
"As I said, I had been preparing her to taste better. I never got to try the fruits of my labours."   
Will paused, spoon in the air, and looked at Hannibal.   
"Are you suggesting-…"   
"That we psychically pay Ms Du Maurier a visit? Yes."   
Will lowered his spoon.   
"But...she's back in Baltibore, right?"   
"That is correct."   
"We'd get caught."   
"Not necessarily. If were to act accordingly, nobody would even know she had gone missing for a long time."   
"She has patients?"   
"I was her only patient."   
Will sat back on his pillows and frowned down at his soup. It was risky, and even he, with his cold stuffed mind, knew it was a risk they didn't have to take. Abby chose that moment to hop up on the bed and sniff the air. She cautiously stepped towards the bowl.   
"Will, you suggested that we kill Ms Lounds and I agreed. I even took part."   
"You wanted to."   
"I did. But isn't there a part of you who would like to see Bedelia again? To partake in eating her?"   
Will thought about it, looking at Abby but not really focusing on her. There was still the sting of jealously he felt whenever he heard Bedelia's name, and he had enjoyed the thought of Hannibal eating her. It was a fitting end to their relationship, really. Would it be an injustice for Hannibal's hard work to simply go to waste? He looked at Hannibal again, and Abby stuck her face in the bowl, sniffing at the contents that was just out of reach.   
"Possibly."   
Hannibal smiled.   
"I hoped there would be. But, of course, we'll have to wait for you to get well again before we can plan anything. I wouldn't want to be distracted from taking care of you."   
They were both distracted by Abby, who had started lapping at the broth. Will wanted to swat her away but he had barely had the energy to eat. Hannibal also wanted to push her away, but it was rather sweet, really...until she grabbed an entire chunk of chicken and ran off with it. Hannibal chuckled and shook his head.   
"We could plan in the beantibe?"   
"That's true. It would be best to act as soon as we can, before she falls into a false sense of security and becomes lost to that notion."   
"Do you think she thinks you're actually dead, then?"   
"Oh, she probably wants to believe it. I doubt she'll ever truly accept it until she sees my corpse."   
Will pulled a face; Hannibal's corpse wasn't something he ever wanted to think about. It had been bad enough after the fall, when he had surfaced and Hannibal hadn't. And then on the beach, when he woke up and Hannibal still wasn't conscious. He had spent most of those first few hours thinking he would have to drag Hannibal's body back to the FBI. It had rocked him to his very core; sure, knowing Hannibal was locked away somewhere, but alive, was one thing. Living with the knowledge that the man was dead would most definitely have destroyed Will. He shuddered. Hannibal touched his forehead again, looking concerned.   
"I'b alright. We can do it. But when I'b better."   
Will nodded and Hannibal smiled.   
"Good. Good."   
He then kissed Will's forehead, right where his scar was, and left the room, no doubt to hunt down Abby and stop her from choking on a chicken bone. Will continued eating his soup, letting himself get lost in the thought of seeing Bedelia Du Maurier for one final time.


	24. Chapter 24

Walt woke up in the backseat of the car. Winston sensed he was awake and lifted his head too, gently pawing at Walt's arm. Walt responded with a grunt and pushed himself up, then rubbed his eyes. He didn't remember falling asleep, and he had no idea where they were. Winston whined so Walt opened the door and let the dog jump down from the seat. He looked into the front to find his mother had gone. This didn't worry him anymore. The first morning he woke up alone in the car he had panicked. Finding that all the doors were locked hadn't helped matters, and Molly returned about five minutes later to find Walt sobbing uncontrollably while trying in vain to open the door. It had taken her a long time to console him, and she promised she wouldn't do it again, but she had. Consistently. Admittedly, she never went very far, and she had then started leaving Winston with Walt, but...Walt shook his head and looked around; his mother was outside, stretching. He climbed out of the car after Winston and walked round to her.   
"Good morning, sunshine."   
Molly kissed Walt's head and he smiled up at her. He wasn't mad anymore; he just wanted to go home. They had fought constantly when they first left Maine, and the fighting had gotten worse the closer Christmas got, but once they had decided to find somewhere to settle for the day itself, things had calmed down again.   
"Where are we?"   
"Just outside of York. I couldn't drive anymore last night."   
Molly rubbed her eyes, then ran her hand through Walt's hair. She hated herself for taking Walt so far away from his life, but she had to know. For herself, _and_ for Walt.   
"Where are we going?"   
Molly reached in through the driver's side window and picked up the papers she had looked at as they drove.   
"I want us to get to Harrisburg before we find a motel. It won't take long, but there's nothing between here and Lewisburg anyway."   
"Did these people _really_ see dad, or...?"   
"I honestly don't know, Walt. But we have to check with everyone. There were a lot of people who said they saw Will, and I just want to make sure."   
Walt let out a sigh. He used to like driving around with his mother, but being stuck in the car for hours on end wasn't fun. At least he had Winston to keep him company.   
"But that's a lot of people."   
"I know, honey, I know. I'm sorry."   
Molly crouched down in front of Walt and pulled him into a hug.   
"I want this to be over just as much as you do, but...I've just _got_ to know."   
She pulled back and looked at Walt.   
"I love Will very much. And I love you too. I want us to be a family again. I want to _try_ and make us a family again. If, like you said, it turns out that Will really is dead and these sightings turn out to be a bunch of bologna, then we'll go straight back home, I promise. I'm so sorry."   
She pulled Walt back into a hug and he couldn't help but bury his face in her shoulder. He felt so bad for his mother, being so obsessed with finding Will, that every time he felt himself getting mad at her, it dissipated quickly. She always looked so sad, even when she was smiling.   
"Okay, mom. Let's get to Harrisburg."   
"Good boy."   
Molly kissed Walt's cheek and they all climbed back into the car, Winston settling himself in the backseat. 

-/- 

Will suffered with his cold for over a fortnight. Towards the end he started having nightmares, which made him wake up suddenly in the middle of the night. Each time he would be drenched with sweat, panting heavily, and looking around wildly for Hannibal. If Will ever woke up and Hannibal wasn't in the bed, his panic increased until he found him.   
One night when he had woken up alone in bed, and when he eventually found Hannibal outside, wrapped in a blanket and getting some air, he had broken down in tears. Hannibal often asked what made the dreams so frightening, and Will always replied that it was because they were so vivid, but on the occasion he cried, Will divulged more information.   
"I was in a hospital...connected up to all these machines..."   
He looked up at Hannibal's face, his own streaked with tears.   
"You weren't there...you weren't there!"   
Hannibal had pulled Will gently close to him then and stroked his hair, offering words of encouragement. Will had eventually managed to stop crying and they returned to bed. Thankfully, Will didn't have the dream anymore after that, and their nights were peaceful again, but Will's fear had deeply troubled Hannibal, who kept an eye on him most mornings, just in case the dreams had returned. It was only when he was completely satisfied that Will was well again that he stopped checking.   
Will didn't have the dream again. 

-/- 

After stopping in Harrisburg, Molly and Walt moved on to Duncannon, where they met with a man who had told Freddie Lounds that he had seen Will Graham on his own travels down the country to visit his family. He told them that he had been in Sunbury, at a filling station, where he'd spotted Will filling hips jeep. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but when he'd seen that piece on tattlecrime.com, which he had been a huge fan of, he'd remembered it. Molly had thanked him for his time, but she didn't answer any of his questions about who the man she was looking for was to her. He pondered for a few moments before he continued on his way.   
In Sunbury, Molly met with a few people who were positive they'd seen Will as well, though she was sure only one of them really had. The others didn't seem too confident in their stories, but one sounded genuine. She'd seen Will as well as another man at the same time as the man from Harrisburg had. When Molly asked for the woman to describe the other man, her blood ran cold and she hurried back to her car. Walt looked at her worried, but before he could say anything, Molly had started the engine and driven off at speed.   
It was only when they had put a considerable distance between themselves and Sunbury that Walt dared ask.   
"What did she say, mom? Who did she see dad with?"   
Molly swallowed, not sure how to answer.   
"She...she said she saw him with an older man, sweetheart."   
That was all she said, but she didn't need to say anymore. Walt already knew who it could have been.


	25. Chapter 25

It turned out that Freddie Lounds investigations had been useful after all. Molly and Walt sound found themselves driving into Williamsport, but what they didn't know was that they drove passed Will and Hannibal going in the opposite direction.   
Hannibal had nominated himself to drive, which Will to relieved to hear. Hannibal had also suggested they bring Abby with them, which was why she was currently standing on Will's lap, her tail flicking in his face as she looked out the window.   
"Why couldn't we keep her in her carrier, Hannibal?"   
"How would you like to be kept in a small cage for four hours, Will?"   
Will rolled his eyes.   
"I'm not about to climb on your lap and distract you though, am I?"   
Will tried to move Abby's tail from his face, but she just let it spring back up again. Hannibal snorted.   
"I'm sure, given the opportunity, you would do exactly that."   
Will did a double take, then couldn't help but chuckle. Hannibal grinned, glancing over at the pair briefly.   
"Besides, it'll be good for her to see more of the world."   
"True."   
Will started stroking Abby and she instantly began purring, arching her back up into Will's hand.   
"Have you ever considered us moving on somewhere else, Hannibal?"   
Will looked round at the other male after a few minutes of silence. Hannibal frowned slightly.   
"It has crossed my mind that settling in one area for too long could attract unwanted attention. Why do you ask now?"   
"I just..."   
Will shrugged.   
"...with us going to see Bedelia, it would seem fitting for us to travel somewhere else, wouldn't it? We'll have no real reason to stay so close to Baltimore anymore. Unless you were planning on killing Jack."   
"Would you like to end Jack's life?"   
"Not anymore. There was a time when I did but...that feeling has passed."   
"For me as well. Jack is welcome to live his life as long as he sees fit to do so."   
"So..."   
"Yes. Once our business with Bedelia is finished, it would be wise for us to move on. How soon afterwards were you thinking?"   
"Not straight away. We'll need time to discuss it and pack our belongings."   
"I had no intention of taking anything other than clothes."   
"Really?"   
Hannibal smiled.   
"I still have plenty of money for us to live on, and besides, a new start would call for a new identity. We would both easily find new occupations. We would want for nothing."   
"You're right."   
Will continued to stroke Abby, who had curled up on his lap and was slowly falling asleep.   
They drove in silence for a few more miles, both of them comfortable enough with one another not to need to constantly talk. They would occasionally glance at one another and smile; Hannibal would sometimes reach over and either give Abby a fuss, or gently stroke Will's cheek. It was only when they reached the halfway point that Will spoke again.   
"What did you bring, anyway? Aside from the essentials, of course."   
Hannibal smiled.   
"Just what I needed."   
"Hannibal, you have an entire suitcase to yourself. You packed more than I did."   
"I wear far more clothes than you do, Will."   
"You know what I'm talking about."   
Hannibal smiled some more.   
"I brought everything I would need to ensure that this wouldn't be a wasted trip. I can safely assume that Bedelia would have some of the items I need, but as for the rest, I felt it prudent to bring my own equipment."   
Will returned Hannibal's smile and nodded knowingly. Of course, he knew Hannibal had no intention of letting any part of Bedelia go to waste. He had done this before, after all.   
"You're doing a very good job of hiding your excitement, Doctor."   
"I am indeed." 

"Are we just going to the front door?"   
"I am."   
"What do you want me to do?"   
"Remain in the car until I call you."   
Hannibal reached across and scratched under Abby's chin before he climbed out of the jeep. Will wasn't impressed.   
"You want me to sit out here until you call me in? What if I get caught?"   
"You won't."   
"But what-…"   
"Will. You won't."   
Will breathed in deeply, then sat back in his seat again. Abby jumped off his lap and into Hannibal's seat where she began pawing at the door, letting out her usual little mews. Will quickly pulled her back over.   
"If I can't go, then neither than you. We'll have to wait together."   
Hannibal walked calmly towards Bedelia's front door, glancing left and right without turning his head. Only once did he look back towards the jeep, and Will gave him a curt nod. When he reached Bedelia's front door he took a deep breath, grateful that his face was out of Will's sight. He was nervous, but he didn't want to show it. What they were doing was risky, _far_ too risky, but it would be oh so worth it in the end.   
He raised a hand and smartly rapped his knuckles against the door, then clasped his hands behind his back. He didn't have to wait long for the door to be answered, and the look on Bedelia's face was much more satisfactory than Freddie Lounds' had been. She had even let out the smallest of gasps.  
"Good evening, Bedelia."   
Several thoughts went through Bedelia's mind at once; the first, and strongest, was to try to run. The second was to _scream_ and run. The third was to slam the door in his face and call the police.   
None of them would end well for her, so she went for the fourth option her mind provided for her.   
With a blank expression on her face, she stepped to the side.   
"Evening, Doctor Lecter. Please, come in."   
"Thank you."   
He stepped into the house and Bedelia closed the door behind them. Will frowned and stowed Abby in her carrier. He then crossed his arms and watched Bedelia's front door, his eyes narrowed.   
Hannibal shrugged off his coat and hung it in the appropriate place before following after Bedelia. She led him into the kitchen, where she immediately selected a bottle of wine and poured them both a glass. Hers was gone in a matter of seconds, whereas Hannibal's remained untouched on the counter.   
"That is most unlike you, Hannibal, refusing a glass of wine."   
"I will drink it, in due course."   
"Have you finally come to kill me?"   
"It will not be as simple as that. I started something with you, you see, and I have a strong desire to complete it."   
Bedelia poured herself another glass.   
"Ah, yes. Your wish to consume me has, so far, gone unfulfilled."   
"Precisely."   
"Are you here alone?"   
"No. Will is outside."   
Bedelia didn't seem surprised by the news that Will was alive as well. She simply nodded and drank some more wine.   
"Will he be joining us."   
"In due time, yes. I wanted us to have a conversation first."   
"About what? How you plan to kill me?"   
Hannibal smiled politely.   
"Will and I will be staying here for a few days. No longer than a week. Once that week has passed, we will be gone. Forever."   
"As will I."   
"Yes."   
"Forgive me for not celebrating the imminent end of my life, Hannibal."   
Hannibal nodded.   
"In that week I must ask you not to do anything to endanger either my life or Will's."   
"I knew you were a monster from the first moment I met you."   
"I would loathe to have to end our reunion early."   
With that, Hannibal turned. He returned to the front door and called Will up to the house. Will climbed out of the car, clutching Abby's carrier, and joined the two of them.   
Bedelia watched with barely concealed disgust at the way the two men interacted with one another. Hannibal's hand on the small of Will's back; the glances between them; the loving smiles. It made her stomach churn, and she swallowed the rest of her wine as an attempt to hide the look on her face. It seemed that Will Graham had finally become the creature they all knew him to be, considering he was a willing participant in Hannibal's twisted games.   
The fact they had a pet together just made it worse.   
"Mr Graham."   
"Ms Du Maurier."   
"I see you're also clinging to some semblance of normality."   
Will opened Abby's carrier and picked her up, stroking her back.   
"I gave up on what was considered normal when we killed Dolarhyde."   
"I see."   
Near silence fell over the kitchen, the only sound was Abby's purring. Bedelia watched Will, Will was focused on Abby, and Hannibal was staring intently at Bedelia. Will drank from Hannibal's wine glass and switched his attention to the woman in front of them. Seeing her was much more surreal than seeing Freddie Lounds.   
But eating her, he was sure, would be much more delightful.


	26. Chapter 26

The first night at Bedelia's was tense, yet uneventful. The three of them sat in an awkward silence for a few hours while Abby explored her new surroundings. It was only when Bedelia excused herself and went to bed that Hannibal and Will became animated again.   
While Will fetched their belongings from the car, Hannibal caught up with Bedelia and asked for any and all cell phones she had in the house. It may have taken three requests for her to finally hand them all over, but Hannibal was eventually satisfied that she had only owned the two. He still searched the house, however, as Will took their cases to the guest bedroom. He disconnected the phone line, though unless you happened to look at it intently, you wouldn't be able to notice. The also looked for any panic buttons, which he knew she would have at least one, and disabled those as well. His last chore he asked Will to assist him with, and that was locating any guns Bedelia might have had.   
"She doesn't strike me as the gun wielding type."   
"They never do...then before you know it, you have a P226 in your face."   
Will stopped what he was doing, holding one of the cushions from the sofa.   
"Has that ever happened to you."   
Hannibal just gave Will a look, and Will nodded.   
"Okay, never mind. Stupid question."   
"There are no stupid questions, Will. Just badly timed ones."   
In the end they found two; one in Bedelia's purse, which Hannibal was already familiar with, and one near the front door. Will knew that both of the weapons were obviously deadly when used correctly. And he had a feeling that Bedelia knew exactly how to use them.   
"Right."   
Hannibal picked Abby up and rubbed his cheek against her head.   
"We should probably call it a night."   
"Can we trust her not to run?"   
"No."   
"So, we're just taking it on faith that she won't?"   
"Precisely."   
"That's quite a risk, Hannibal."   
"Yes, it is."   
The two of them headed to the guest bedroom, once they'd locked the house up, of course. Abby sat by their bedroom door for the entire night, occasionally sleeping but mostly listening. Even she seemed to understand what was at stake. While Will slept, though somewhat uneasily, Hannibal hardly slept at all. Between listening intently to the sounds of the house, watching Will and sometimes comforting him with a gentle touch, to standing down the hallway from Bedelia's room, he only managed about an hour's sleep. But he was the most alert the next morning. 

One of the things that Hannibal had brought with him turned out to be a kind of sedative. It made itself known at the breakfast table, when he unceremoniously injected it into Bedelia's neck. Will almost choked at the shocked expression on Bedelia's face, and he hastily disappeared back into the kitchen so she wouldn't see his barely suppressed laughter. When he returned, Bedelia had a glazed look and she seemed in a much better mood than when she had risen that morning.   
"Just a little something to make her more compliant."   
Hannibal smiled at Will, then to Bedelia, and she returned the smile. Will chuckled and finished his coffee. 

That day, Hannibal continued what he had started in Florence, selecting what Bedelia ate with great care and attention. Nothing passed her lips that he hadn't thoroughly checked beforehand, and Will watched with awe at the lengths Hannibal was going to. Though he was completely riddled with nerves when he realised Hannibal had actually left the house, he somehow managed to keep it under control. It was only when Hannibal finally returned home that he succumbed to his emotions and burst into frustrated tears.   
"Why didn't you tell me you were going out?!"   
He had been ready to punch Hannibal, possibly even throw something else at him, but he just nuzzled against the other male's chest instead. Hannibal stroked Will's hair affectionately.   
"I was hoping you wouldn't worry, Will. I had a few items I had to collect. I think I might have bumped into Jack-…"   
"You what?!"   
"But he didn't know it was me. Will, please, calm yourself. It might not even have been Jack."   
"You're just saying that to make me feel better."   
"Perhaps. Do not fret, my love."   
Hannibal kissed Will's forehead, then continued with what he was doing. For the rest of that day, Will sat by himself with Abby. He had, thankfully, brought some of her favourite toys, so he played with her for a while before they both fell asleep on the sofa. Hannibal woke him up just before dinner with another gentle kiss to the forehead.   
"Dinner is ready, Will."   
"Smells delicious."   
And it was; while Hannibal was out he had bought a few items to make their first dinner together with Bedelia a good one. She was back on her diet of oysters, acorns and Marsala, and she seemed to eat without really thinking about it, barely engaging in the conversation between Hannibal and Will, who were quite happily tucking into lamb.   
"Is she alright?"   
Will leaned closer to Hannibal and indicated to Bedelia with his fork. Hannibal swallowed his mouthful and looked over at Bedelia.   
"I may have been a little liberal with the sedative before we sat together. She was being particularly voracious. I simply would not allow that at the dinner table."   
Will nodded and continued eating. 

Hannibal and Bedelia both did a disappearing act the next morning, and while Will was worried as he had been the previous day, he was also feeling those pangs of jealousy again. Where were they? What were they up to? He tried to stop himself from thinking about it too much, but he couldn't really help it. Abby was perfectly content in batting her toys around herself, though she kept looking for Hannibal as well. It was only in the late afternoon that Hannibal showed his face, looking flush.   
"Where have you been now?"   
"Preparing Bedelia for dinner."   
Hannibal threw himself down on the sofa. Abby immediately jumped onto his lap and got herself settled. Hannibal scratched under her chin and smiled up at Will.   
"By preparing her, you mean... _preparing_ her for dinner? Or preparing _her_ for dinner?"   
"Both, I suppose."   
Will sat himself on the edge of the sofa, looking eagerly at Hannibal.   
"What have you done?"   
"Let's just say that Abel Gideon was a wonderful model to practise with, but Bedelia is my finest work yet."   
It didn't take long for Hannibal's words to reveal their true meaning. Will dressed himself in the clothes that Hannibal had laid out for him, and then proceeded down into the kitchen.   
"Anything I can do to help?"   
"Yes..."   
Hannibal turned, his sleeves rolled up, apron on. Will looked over Hannibal's forearms slowly, almost hungrily, then worked his way up to Hannibal's chest. Hannibal sensed what Will was thinking and made him focus his attention onto the moment.  
"Not now, Will."   
Will flushed slightly, lifting his gaze to Hannibal's face.  
"Take this wine through to the dining room."   
He handed Will two bottles, which Will carried through. He almost dropped them, however, when he turned to the dining room.   
"Oh, my..."   
He took in the scene, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. The table was set to Hannibal's usual standard, three places laid out. A sumptuous spread adorned the table, and pride of place in the middle...   
"Is that...Bedelia's leg?"   
"Her left, to be exact."   
Will continued to stare until Hannibal gently touched his arm.   
"The wine, Will."   
"Oh, yes, right..."   
Will entered the room properly. Bedelia was sitting at the head of the table, the guest of honour, in an exquisite dress that Will was sure Hannibal had selected for her. With slightly trembling hands he set the bottles on the table and slipped back into the kitchen.   
"Is that what you were doing all morning?"   
"Yes."   
"How drugged is Ms Du Maurier at this moment?"   
"Quite."   
Hannibal smirked, putting the finishing touches to what Will assumed to be dessert.   
It was during this time that Bedelia took the oyster fork from her plate, bringing it to her lap. She made sure to place her hands over it in order to hide it from sight. She didn't care which was it was, but one of the men would receive some of the wrath she still held within her. She had been helpless to defend herself against Hannibal's butchery, but things were leaning slightly towards her favour in that she could catch them off guard, even if the moment would be fleeting.   
"Are you sure?"   
"Yes, Will."   
Will breathed in deeply, then sighed.   
"Alright. Alright."   
He then turned, Hannibal following a few moments after, and returned to the dining room. He crossed to Bedelia and poured her a glass of wine, then set the bottle down. It was in the mere seconds that Will's hand was flat on the table top that Bedelia acted; there was a flash of silver and she plunged the utensil into the back of Will's hand, driving it deep. Will let out a scream of mingled pain and shock, then pulled his hand up from the table. Bedelia had used all the force she could muster, and as a result, the tines of the fork had gone right through Will's palm and into the wood of the table. Will gripped the handle of the fork and pulled it out of his hand, sending a jet of blood across the table top and onto the floor. The shirt he was wearing was effectively ruined.   
Despite being angry and upset that Will was hurt, Hannibal couldn't help but find the sight amusing. Bedelia returned to having a meek demeanour, even if she was breathing heavily, and Will was hastily wrapping a napkin around his hand. It was a good thing that Hannibal hadn't yet rolled his sleeves down, as he would only have gotten his cuffs stained with blood as he assisted Will, taking him through to the bathroom.   
"You said she was drugged!"   
"She is."   
"She just stabbed me, Hannibal!"   
"I am aware of that. Let me have a look."   
Hannibal took Will's hand and removed the napkin. He could feel the rage emanating from Will as he worked to stop the bleeding.   
"Please, calm yourself, Will."   
"Did you know she was going to do that?"   
Hannibal didn't immediately reply, and it made Will's anger worse.   
"Did you?!"   
"I had my suspicions she would act out."   
A look of hurt flashed across Will's face before being replaced with anger again.   
"You...you _let_ her _stab_ me! You even provided her with a weapon!"   
"I had no idea she would attack you with an oyster fork, Will, merely that she would attempt something to show me how upset she was."   
"How upset _she_ was?!"   
"Think about it. We are about to eat her."   
Will snatched his hand away.   
"She could easily have driven that thing into my eye, Hannibal. How does that make you feel?"   
Hannibal took Will's hand again and continued what he was doing.   
"Admittedly, I am angry with her for what she did. Would there be any use in punishing her?"   
"Yes. There's no way of knowing that she won't do it again."   
"She won't be able to if she doesn't have arms."   
Will sighed heavily.   
"You wanted something to happen, admit it."   
"I admit it."   
"You wanted me to be more engaged in this."   
"Yes. And anger works for you."   
"You're lucky I didn't just stab her back."   
"I know."   
When they eventually returned to the dinner table, Bedelia glanced from Hannibal to Will, then smirked at the bandage around Will's hand.   
"That was rude, Bedelia. You know how I despise rudeness."   
She didn't reply, but Hannibal was sure his words had sunk in. She had certainly stopped smiling, and they resumed their dinner with no other interruptions, though Bedelia's stomach churned as she watched the two men slicing up her leg.   
After Hannibal had tucked Bedelia into bed, and as she slowly gave in to the sleeping tablets he had given her, she thought of more ways she could anger Will Graham. If she was going to die, she at least wanted to sow the seeds of doubt in Will's mind first.


	27. Chapter 27

"Are you coming down, Will?"   
Hannibal finished straightening his tie in the mirror, looking at the blanket covered lump that was Will. When he didn't get a reply, he turned.   
"Will? I know you're awake."   
He leaned forwards and shook Will's leg.   
"Will?"   
"I'm fine right here, Hannibal."   
Hannibal raised an eyebrow and walked round the bed. He pulled the duvet up from Will's face as he crouched down.   
"What's the matter?"   
"I'm not really feeling hungry right now, that's all."   
"Why not? Are you getting ill again?"   
"No. I just don't want to participate in this whole...charade anymore."   
"What are you talking about?"   
"You. Acting like the issue last night with Bedelia was nothing."   
Will rolled away from Hannibal, snatching the duvet back.   
"Just...go away."   
"I will not."   
"Well get used to talking to my ass."   
Hannibal stood again with his hands on his hips. He pursed his lips, then let out a sigh.   
"Will. You're acting like an infant."   
"She stabbed me, Hannibal. And you did nothing. You barely reacted, you didn't defend me. I'm pretty damn sure you even smiled."   
Will received silence from Hannibal, which confirmed his suspicions.   
"See! And you won't even deny it."   
"Alright, Will, what do you want me to say? I suppose I can admit that I left the fork within her reach on purpose, but with the intention she would injure you with it? No."   
Will curled up a little more.   
"At the most I wanted her to antagonise you, Will. You've acted...differently than I imagined you would since we've been here."   
Will let Hannibal's words sink in for a few moments, then rolled over and sat up, frowning.   
"I'm sorry, but that's all complete bullshit, Hannibal. It didn't cross your mind for even a second that she would use it against one of us?"   
Yet again, Will's swearing came as a welcome surprise to Hannibal.   
"I've acted differently since we got here? In case you've forgotten, this isn't exactly my forte. The only person I have ever killed in an act of passion was-…"   
"Garrett Jacob Hobbs."   
"I-…"   
"Randall Tier."   
"Wh-…"   
"Francis Dolarhyde."   
"Hanniba-…"   
"Scarlett Key."   
"Stop."   
"Indirectly you are also responsible for the deaths of Matteo and Carlo Deogracias, the man you sent to kill me, and the six police officers that were with us when Dolarhyde intercepted our transport."   
Will threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, his chest rising and falling rapidly.   
"As well as others, I am sure."   
"That's enough, Hannibal!"   
Who was trying to get a rise out of Will? Hannibal or Bedelia? So far, Hannibal was winning.   
"Killing is in your nature, Will. You are simply too clouded by your own empathy and skewed morals to accept it."   
"I am not...what do you want from me, Hannibal?!"   
Hannibal gripped Will's shoulders.   
"I want you to be you, Will. There is no point in pretending that you are anything less, just because I do not plan on killing Bedelia in one move. I want you to feel as passionately about this as I do. I _need_ you to."   
"I _am_ being me."   
"No, Will. You're holding back, and I am unsure why. Back at the cabin when you killed Scarlett, it was in an act of frenzy. It was spontaneous, yes, but she had affected you on a deeply personal level and you reacted. Perfectly, I might add. But you became more of who I want you to be that day. All I ask for is for _that_ Will Graham to be with me now. The Will Graham who feels the same way that I do. The Will Graham who is energetic and fiery and so strong willed. The man I fell in love with."   
Will looked at Hannibal, then looked away. He supposed Hannibal was right, but he was still skirting around the issue at hand.   
"Let's just say I agree with what you're saying. There's still the fact that you did not and as far as I know, have not, punished Bedelia in any way. What are you going to do about it?"   
"What would you like me to do about it? And why, if you don't mind my asking, don't _you_ do something?"   
"I don't know, be creative. And I...I don't trust myself not to...stop."   
Realisation dawned on Hannibal, and his eyes lit up as his pupils dilated.   
"Oh."   
"I don't think I would be satisfied in just...wounding her some more."   
A smile of relief from Hannibal made Will let out a light laugh.   
"I thought it was something else."   
"No."   
"Oh, Will."   
Hannibal pulled Will against his chest and wrapped his arms around him, resting his cheek on Will's head and breathing in his scent.   
"I thought you didn't want this anymore."   
"Are you kidding? If I didn't, I'd either have left, or...or you'd snap my neck right now."   
"Hardly a fitting end for you, my dear."   
Will smiled as he nuzzled into Hannibal's chest. They stayed in silence for a few minutes, just holding one another, before Hannibal kissed the top of Will's head and pulled back.   
"I have a few things I need to attend to. Will you come down for breakfast?"   
"I suppose."   
"Good."   
Hannibal kissed Will's forehead then left the room, rolling up his sleeves. Will gathered his clothes and hopped into the shower.   
While he had been holding Will, Hannibal had come up with a plan for Bedelia's punishment. It just wouldn't do, letting her think she could get away with stabbing Will in the hand. Oh no; just because your days were numbered didn't mean you had a right to do what you wanted. And she certainly didn't have any right at all to hurt any part of Will Graham.   
He fetched Bedelia from her bedroom, after sedating her, of course, and carried her into the kitchen. He made sure that she was able to at least lean against the side before taking her hand and laying it flat against the chopping board. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He tucked some hair behind her ear, then reached across for the meat cleaver. He tested the sharpness on his own thumb, then gripped her upper arm. It seemed that Bedelia had realised what was coming, but she realised a few seconds too late. With what appeared to be a minimal amount of effort, Hannibal raised the cleaver and brought it down in an arc, cutting through Bedelia's wrist. As he raised the cleaver for the second time, Bedelia's shock came to the surface and she let out a scream, but she wasn't quick enough to stop Hannibal from bringing the cleaver down a second time and severing her wrist from her arm. Still screaming, staring in disbelief at where her hand used to be, Bedelia foolishly attempted to move away from Hannibal, but fell over instead. Hannibal lifted her, despite her trying to fight him off, and carried her out of the kitchen.   
Hannibal stopped the bleeding from her wrist and cleaned up the wound, then sewed it much like he had done to her leg. He gave her another dose of sedatives and let her fall back to sleep. She hadn't lost enough blood for him to worry about, and he didn't care if the shock killed her at that point. He returned to the kitchen to find a still dripping wet Will trying to clean up the blood.   
"What did you do?!"   
Hannibal, with a grin, lifted Bedelia's hand. He waved at Will with it. Will got to his feet.   
"I think you'll have to take another shower, Will."   
Still brandishing Bedelia's hand, Hannibal indicated to Will's towel, hands and legs, which were covered in blood. Will looked down at himself, then laughed.   
"Stop...pointing with that, would you? And what are you even going to do with it?"   
Hannibal inspected Bedelia's hand, then set it back on the chopping board.   
"I was thinking it could be the feature of a broth of some kind...or..."   
There was a soft mew as Abby came padding into the room, obviously disturbed by the noise. She sniffed at the blood on the floor, then hopped up onto the counter and sniffed Bedelia's hand.   
"Or. We feed it to Abby."   
Hannibal washed his hands, then scratched under Abby's chin. Will copied him.   
"Do you think she'd eat it?"   
"I do indeed."   
"Hannibal...thank you."   
Hannibal cupped Will's cheek.   
"Is it a fitting punishment?"   
"Absolutely."


	28. Chapter 28

Hannibal removed the fingernails from Bedelia's hand before placing it in a roasting dish and sliding it into the oven. Once he was sure it was cooked to perfection, he took it back out of the oven and set it on a plate for Abby. She started eating it immediately.   
"Good girl."   
Hannibal crooned, stroking Abby from her head to the end of her tail, ignoring the retching sounds coming from behind him. He had sat Bedelia in a chair before he started preparing her hand, and tasked Will with making sure she stayed there. He had done so with gusto, keeping her in her seat with firm pressure applied to her shoulders whenever she got a little too fidgety. Will was feeling much better about his hand, now. Obviously, it wasn't at all ideal that Bedelia had been able to wound him in the first place, but seeing as Hannibal had exacted some revenge, it didn't bother him quite as much.   
"That's a good girl."   
Hannibal stroked Abby again, then pushed himself to his feet.   
"See, Bedelia? You can't just do as you please. Your actions have consequences. You of all people should know that."   
He rolled up his sleeves, then began the washing up. Will kept his grip on Bedelia's shoulders, perhaps digging his nails in harder than was necessary, just to watch her squirm. Once he was finished, Hannibal dried his hands, then lifted Bedelia from the chair and carried her into the living room. He crouched in front of her, smiling.   
"Would you like a book?"   
Despite the fact she had been sedated, she apparently still had enough of herself left in order to make snide remarks whenever she felt the need to.   
"I would like you back behind bars, Hannibal."   
"I'm sure you would."   
Hannibal pushed himself to his feet.   
"As would many others. Will, I'm going to prepare dinner. Keep an eye on her, would you? If she tries anything, silence her."   
Will nodded and kissed Hannibal's cheek as he passed, then sat himself down in one of the armchairs.   
"You're both a disgrace."   
"If you say so."   
"You're perfect for one another."   
"Well, you must've seen something in him."   
Will's comment, made without really thinking, fuelled Bedelia's fire. Her face lit up and for a moment, Will didn't quite grasp why. It dawned on him pretty quickly, however, as he thought about the words he'd used.   
"Does it bother you that Hannibal and I were intimate while we were in Florence?"   
Will swallowed, turning his head away. He didn't know the full story between Hannibal and Bedelia, and he wanted to keep it that way. He had thought about it often at one point, had been obsessed with it even, but he had managed to push the emotions associated with it somewhere deep inside him. They all came rushing back to the surface, despite his best efforts. He breathed in deeply.   
"I appear to have pushed a button, Mr Graham. What bothers you more? The intimacy or the fact it was happening while you were coming to terms with losing Miss Hobbs?"   
"You keep her name out of your mouth."   
Will looked at Bedelia with anger etched on every inch of his face.   
"Or...was it perhaps while you were lying in hospital having survived betraying Hannibal?"   
"You shut your mouth, now."   
Bedelia grinned while Will sat fuming. He wasn't sure if she was even aware of what she was saying or if she was just saying the first thing that came to mind. All he knew was that he wanted to wipe that stupid grin off of her face for good. He clenched his fists tightly, fighting back the anger. He didn't want to ruin Hannibal's fun.   
"I know more about Hannibal than you could ever hope to."   
Will closed his eyes and attempted counting backwards from ten, but with every number that passed, he imagined smashing Bedelia's head against her coffee table.   
"Do you really think you are free of his manipulation purely because you are now pursuing a physical relationship? He has you wrapped around his little finger."   
Counting wasn't working. He pictured Abby instead, remembering the day he found her at the shelter and how he felt looking at her tiny paws. She'd gotten so big in such a short space of time and he loved all the little things she did.   
"He killed Abigail. _Murdered_ her. _Stole her_ from you. Have you really forgotten that?"   
Something inside Will snapped. His eyes opened and he pushed himself to his feet.   
"If you don't stop right this second, so help me God-…"   
Luckily for Bedelia, Hannibal chose that moment to re-enter the room.   
"Will, what is it?"   
"We need to shut her up, Hannibal."   
"What has she been saying?"   
"Only providing Mr Graham with a few home truths, Hannibal. Things he would benefit from hearing."   
"Keep your poisonous words out of the air, Bedelia."   
Hannibal ushered Will out of the room, glared at Bedelia, then followed after Will, who had gone into the kitchen and was visibly upset by whatever he had heard. He was shaking from head to toe and he felt like he was going to be sick.   
"What has she said to you?"   
"Nothing I haven't thought about already."   
"About me?"   
"Of course, about you."   
"What else?"   
Will swallowed hard.   
"She...she brought up doubts that I had had before we arrived at the cabin, that's all."   
"Such as?"   
"How much I can trust you. How much I really know about you. If I've...really forgiven you for the things you've done to me."   
"We've done things to each other, Will."   
"I've never killed anyone you cared for."   
That was all Hannibal needed to hear. He leaned against the counter and gave a single nod.   
"I see."   
Will ran his hands over his face, then let them fall heavily to his sides.   
"Have you forgiven me?"   
"For the most part."   
Hannibal nodded again. Will sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds, but quickly opened them again. His mind had been flooded with a barrage of memories; Abigail's face as Hannibal slit her throat, all of the victims of the Chesapeake Ripper, Hannibal openly lying about his encephalitis, Beverly Katz's body being displayed, Hannibal sending Dolarhyde after his family, being framed by Hannibal, being beaten by Hannibal, lied to by Hannibal, manipulated and used by Hannibal, physically wounded by Hannibal, _abandoned_ by Hannibal.   
He let out an agonised whimper and turned away, slamming his hands down on the counter. He hunched forwards, letting out a few more sounds of pain as his eyes filled with tears. Hannibal stepped forwards and lightly touched Will's shoulder, aiming to comfort the other male, but Will turned, knocking Hannibal's hand away.   
"You left me."   
"You betrayed me."   
"You left me for dead."   
"You broke my heart, Will."   
"You left me!"   
"You threw me off a cliff!"   
Tears were falling thick and fast down Will's face, but Hannibal wasn't doing any better. His fists were clenched and he had taken a step closer to Will without realising it. They had both opened a door they'd promised themselves they wouldn't open.   
"I...I threw us both...of a cliff..."   
"You cannot stand there and play the victim in this. You are just as guilty as I am. You admitted to me yourself that you _enjoyed_ killing Garrett Jacob Hobbs."   
Will shook his head. He took in big, shuddering breaths, though he didn't manage to stop his tears. He ran his hands over his face and leaned back against the counter.   
"Haven't we done all this before?"   
"Not verbally."   
"You hurt me, I hurt you, you hurt me, and round and round we go until one of us, or both of us, end up on the receiving end of medical treatment."   
Will looked at Hannibal.   
"How can it hurt this much to love you?"   
Hannibal sniffed.   
"I guess it's just part of our dynamic, Will. To love is to hate, isn't it?"   
Will nodded, then wiped his eyes and looked at the floor. He breathed in deeply then sighed.   
"Do you forgive me?"   
He looked up at Hannibal, who stepped in close and wiped Will's cheeks with his thumbs. He looked into Will's eyes, into his soul almost. He breathed in, then breathed out and nodded.   
"Do you forgive me, Will?"   
More tears tumbled from Will's cheeks and he nodded, letting out a croak.   
"Yes."   
Hannibal kissed Will's forehead, then pulled him close against him. He soothingly stroked the back of Will's head as the other male wrapped his arms around him, tugging on the back of his shirt.   
"I love you. We have done despicable things to one another, yes, but underneath it all it was just a struggle for us to come to terms with our true feelings for one another. Would you agree?"   
Will nodded.   
"What we have done is in the past. We can only look towards the future, _our_ future, together."   
"Yes."   
Will's voice was so small that Hannibal felt his anger ebbing away faster. There was still so much between them that they needed to fix, but he hoped in time they would be able to manage it without explosions of emotions such as the one they had just had. Through admittances spoken in whispers between the sheets; small acts of passion after the thrill of the hunt, the lust of the kill. Though Hannibal knew that there were some hurts between them that would never heal, he wanted to be sure that there would be no more of that misery inflicted upon one another in the days, weeks and years to come.   
"Will...will you promise me something?"   
Hannibal took Will's face and made him look up. Will nodded.   
"Promise me that you will be more open with me about how you feel. You can't let words filled with bad intentions cloud your mind. If you decide you want to talk about...anything that I have done, you come to me. If you want to talk about Abigail..."   
He swallowed; killing her had been an extremely tough, yet sickeningly necessary decision.   
"...then you come to me. Do you promise?"   
"I promise."   
"Good."   
Hannibal pressed his lips softly against Will's, then pulled back and stroked his cheeks again.   
"Now. It seems that Bedelia still has not learned her lesson."   
Will shook his head.   
"She should be punished again."   
"Yes."   
Hannibal nodded, then moved away. He took a small knife from the block and handed it to Will.   
"I think you know what to do with this."   
Will took the knife with a small nod, then turned and headed towards the living room. Hannibal followed, his fury at Bedelia flowing out of him. She looked at the both of them with a blank expression, but the combined rage from the two men filled the room within moments, and there was little she could do to defend herself. Especially when Hannibal reached across from behind the sofa and pinned her where she was sitting with one arm, forcing her mouth open with the other. She struggled, of course. She let out signs of protest and fear, obviously. But as Will tugged forward her tongue, he thought about how it was she who had said all of the things that had made him angry at Hannibal just moments before. She was the one who had brought it all back to him when he had sworn that he had come to terms with everything. And as he made the first cut and a spirt of blood hit him in the face, he grinned and cut more. With a final flourish, Bedelia's tongue came away in his hand. Bedelia continued screaming, of course, but it was more of a gurgling sound that she made, and when Hannibal released her from his grip, her hand went straight to her face, trying to stem the flow of blood from her mouth. She then slid off the sofa and tried a combination of kicking and dragging with her remaining, intact, limbs, though she didn't get very far before Hannibal grabbed her by the crook of an elbow and dragged her from the room. Will sat himself down on the sofa, still clutching the knife, and examined Bedelia's tongue. Such venom it had spat at him, such hatred. It had deliberately sought to undermine everything he and Hannibal had built and overcome together and really...it was such a small thing. Admittedly, her voice box would be a more ideal prize, but taking her tongue away was an extremely rewarding experience.   
After studying the muscle for about five minutes, Will stood up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen. He dropped the knife into the sink and set the tongue on the side, then gathered a pot, as well as various spices. By the time Hannibal returned from Bedelia's room, sometime later, Bedelia's tongue was sitting in a slow boiling pot, with Will looking rather pleased with himself standing next to it.   
"I hope you washed it thoroughly beforehand."   
"I certainly did."   
Will smiled at Hannibal, looking extremely proud of himself. Hannibal ran a hand through Will's hair, smiling fondly at him.   
"What a wonderful man you are, Will Graham."


	29. Chapter 29

Will and Hannibal sat together on the sofa after dinner, Bedelia already having been put to bed. She had been with them for a little while, but Will got sick of the way she was looking at them and asked Hannibal to move her. Like she was an unsightly piece of furniture. When Hannibal returned Will was watching TV, and he settled himself on the sofa, lifting his sketchpad and a pencil. Will, who had been lying down when Hannibal entered, rested his feet on Hannibal's lap. It turned out that Will's feet were at the perfect angle for Hannibal to rest his pad against. Though he did have to ask Will not to move his feet a few times.   
When the programme that Will had been watching ended, he turned his head towards Hannibal.   
"What are you drawing, anyway?"   
"You."   
Will smiled and pushed himself up slightly, resting on his elbows. The look of concentration on Hannibal's face only faded when he became aware of Will grinning so much.   
"What?"   
"You're drawing me?"   
"It's not the first time, let me assure you."   
Will shifted his position, bringing his feet off of Hannibal's lap and tucking them underneath himself instead. He peered down at the page.   
"I wanted to remember the face you made when you cut out Bedelia's tongue. And I wanted you to see it as well."   
Though Hannibal wasn't finished, Will gave an approving nod.   
"You've got all these outlines, and my face is the only thing filled."   
"I can't resist drawing that beautiful face of yours."   
"You flatterer."   
Hannibal grinned, then turned back to this drawing. Will watched the male's face for a few moments, then looked around the room. He was feeling rather tired, but he didn't want to sleep yet. He had spent a great deal of time with Hannibal cleaning up the messes they had made, and then they'd eaten a rather big meal. Bedelia's tongue turned out to be delicious, though the woman herself hadn't thought so. She'd spat it out the second she found out what it was. At least they didn't have to worry about her making anymore snide comments when she was sat alone with Will.   
Will plucked at the hem of his trousers, glancing around the room. There were still obvious blood stains on the carpet and sofa, but they weren't anywhere near as bad as they were. The kitchen had been the easiest to clean, though Abby kept leaving bloody pawprints all over the place. She had settled herself on the armchair Bedelia had vacated, taking advantage of the warmth. Will let out a sigh, then stretched and climbed off of the sofa.   
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight."   
He leaned forwards and kissed Hannibal's cheek, then left the room. Abby jumped off the chair after him, running between his legs when he reached the bedroom and leaping onto the bed. He showered and brushed his teeth, then climbed into bed, lying on his back. Abby crawled over and got herself settled on his chest, purring right in his face. He smiled and closed his eyes; soon enough he had drifted off to sleep.   
He didn't wake up when Hannibal climbed into bed, though he stirred when the male started kissing his throat tenderly, his lips lingering over Will's skin as he worked his way up to his ear. Hannibal nipped at Will's earlobe, and Will let out a light grunt. Smirking slightly, Hannibal shifted his body closer to Will's, letting his fingers trail over Will's side. He tugged up Will's shirt and traced his fingers over the scar he'd left on Will's stomach.   
Will squirmed slightly, but still didn't fully wake up, even when Abby stretched out and climbed off his chest. Hannibal resumed kissing Will's neck, though he made sure to leave a few marks, sucking on patches of skin. Will let out a groan and stirred again, his eyes rolling back under their lids. Hannibal pushed Will's shirt right up and disappeared under the covers. He kissed over Will's chest, taking both sensitive buds in his mouth in turn, toying with them using his teeth and tongue. Will let out a moan, but he still wasn't fully awake. Hannibal frowned up at him in the darkness and decided to travel lower. He rubbed Will's length through his shorts, his breath dancing across Will's abdomen between kisses. More low sounds were coming from Will's mouth, but Hannibal wasn't yet convinced that he was fully awake. He tugged Will's shorts down as much as he could and took the male's length in his mouth, sucking softly. That seemed to do the trick, as Will arched his back, letting out a gasp. His hands then found their way into Hannibal's hair and he tugged. Hannibal pulled back long enough to speak.   
"I didn't think you were going to wake up, Will."   
"I thought I was only dreaming..."   
Will bit his bottom lip as Hannibal continued, stroking Will's length as he sucked. He used his free hand to move one of Will's legs, holding under his upper thigh. Will arched his back again, letting out another moan, as Hannibal took more of his length in his mouth, sucking harder. When Hannibal grazed his teeth over Will's shaft, Will's entire body twitched and he moaned louder. Hannibal hummed around Will's length, his own arousal becoming more evident. He moved his hand from Will's length and pushed back his other leg before raising his head and looked up at Will, who had at least had the foresight to push the covers back as he watched Hannibal.   
"Are you awake now, Will?"   
"Just shut up and get on with it."   
Will breathed in deeply, his face slightly flushed. Hannibal grinned then lowered his head again. He ran his tongue over Will's shaft before biting the curve of his buttocks. Will jumped, looking down at Hannibal with a slight scowl.   
"What..."   
Hannibal didn't need to answer verbally. He trailed his tongue over Will's backside, then between his cheeks. Will's first reaction was to gasp, unsure if he was really comfortable with what Hannibal was doing or not. But as the other male licked, nipped, kissed and stroked, he felt his concern ebbing away. He even gripped his own legs, not overly fond of the position but loving the sensations from Hannibal's mouth and fingers. Hannibal massaged his cheeks, scratched his nails over them. Somewhere in all of this, Will had yanked his shorts off, flinging them away from the bed. By the time Hannibal pushed himself up and pressed his lips against Will's hard, Will's length was dripping, slick with precum. His body trembled with even the smallest touches from Hannibal, and he had to turn his head to break the kiss just to catch his breath.   
"Top drawer..."   
"What?"   
Between kisses, Hannibal replied.   
"...the lube...top drawer..."   
He vaguely waved a hand in the direction of the bedside table, too interested in feeling Will's skin with his lips, savouring the taste of the male's sweat.   
"Do I...really need it...?"   
"...always..."   
As Hannibal kissed over his chest, Will reached up and awkwardly pulled open the drawer, then rummaged inside blindly, letting his fingers feel for his prize. He eventually found it, though almost dropped it when Hannibal wrapped his lips around his length again.   
"I got...I got it!"   
Hannibal pushed himself up again, taking the tube from Will and giving him another kiss for good measure, before squeezing some of the contents onto his fingertips and moving his hand between Will's legs. As he started rubbing his fingers against Will's entrance, Will started panting again.   
"Nnn...nnn..."   
He licked his lips, tasting himself as well as Hannibal. He let out another moan, pushing his heels into the mattress.   
"No..."   
Hannibal froze instantly, looking up at Will with concern.   
"I can't...wait, Hannibal...please..."   
Will rolled his head back and let out a whine. Hannibal resumed pressing his fingers against Will, watching his face. Will lifted his hips from the bed.   
"Please!"   
Hannibal smirked and slowly pushed his index finger into Will, all the while watching for Will's reaction, and he certainly wasn't disappointed. Will raised his arms and gripped his pillows, seizing handfuls of the material and kneading them. He whined again, his length dripping once more.   
" _Please!_ "   
He looked down at Hannibal in desperation, and Hannibal wasted no time in giving Will what he wanted. He stroked his own length fast, then rubbed himself against Will's entrance before guiding himself into him. They both moaned loudly, Will arching forwards.   
"Will..."   
Hannibal curled his arm round Will and held the back of his head, bringing him up off the pillow slightly as he gripped his hips. Will brought his knees up, resting them against Hannibal's sides, almost holding him in place. Their bodies were flush against one another and when Hannibal started rocking his hips, working himself into Will, Will cried out again. Hannibal rested their foreheads together, working up a rhythm. He started slow and shallow, but with Will's encouraging moans he quickened his pace, deepened his thrusts. Will let go of the pillow and clamped his hands onto Hannibal's backside.   
"Har...harder..."   
He gasped, then tugged on Hannibal's bottom lip with his teeth. Hannibal let out a loud groan and happily obliged, slamming his hips into Will's as hard as he could. Will wrapped his legs around Hannibal properly, crossing his ankles, bringing his arms up and holding onto the male's shoulders. They panted into each other's mouths, kissing almost ferociously. Their moans were practically synchronised, and when Will shuddered and came, coating their stomachs, Hannibal released shortly afterwards, thrusting deep inside Will.   
Breathless, and maybe slightly sore, Will closed his eyes, though they opened again when he felt Hannibal shift, moving to pull out of him.   
"No..."   
He whined, holding into Hannibal tighter, keeping him in place. Hannibal didn't put up much of a fight and just settled against Will instead, resting his head on the male's chest. He was eventually able to disengage himself from Will, but only when the other's breathing had slowed, indicating he had fallen asleep again. Hannibal didn't move otherwise, and Will's steady heartbeat lulled him to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i'm sure anyone can agree; peeling potatoes is the worst x.x

"Have you seen either of these men?"   
The checkout clerk straightened her glasses and peered at the photographs Molly was holding up. She scanned them for a few moments, as though she didn't know who she was looking at, but then she got to the eyes. Well, she would recognise those eyes anywhere; they were practically all she ever saw of both of them.   
"Why, yes! That's Mr De Luca! I never did catch the name of the other man but yes, I recognise them. Quite complicated tastes those two have. Always buying the best produce. Organic."   
She nodded, smiling to herself. As far as she was concerned, they had nothing to do with one another, as she'd never seen them together. However, when she saw how Molly's face had blanched, and the young man that was with her looked as though he was about to faint, her smile faltered.   
"What is it, dear? Are you alright?"   
It took Molly a few moments for her mind to catch up, but she forced that smile back onto her face and pulled out her credit card.   
"Yes, yes, sorry. It's just...oh it's nothing. We're all just so worried about them back home, that's all."   
She paid for her groceries, bagged them up and thanked the clerk before taking Walt's hand and leaving the store.   
"That's seven, mom. Seven people who've seen both of them."   
"I know."   
"So, they've got to be here, right?"   
"In theory."   
When they were outside, Molly looked up and down the street as though expecting to see Will just waltzing out of a shop, Hannibal Lecter on his arm. She couldn't believe it.   
"But where? We've asked everywhere."   
Molly untied Winston, who had been whining when he first spotted them, then started walking back to their motel.   
"Someone's got to know where they live. Or at least know the area. We'll find them, love, don't you fret."   
"And what are you going to do with we do find them?"   
Molly swallowed; she hadn't really thought that far. The most obvious choice was beg for Will to come back with her while she phoned the police...so why had she brought Will's gun with her? 

-/- 

"Did you know It's Christmas next week, Will?"   
Hannibal was preparing Bedelia's other leg for their meal that night, and Will had been peeling potatoes for what felt like a week. His hands were cramping.   
"Is it?"   
"Yes. Can you believe it's been almost four months since Dolarhyde?"   
Will shook his head, letting out a laugh.   
"Sometimes I can't believe any of this is real in the first place."   
Hannibal smiled, adding more seasoning to Bedelia's leg.   
"Should we celebrate Christmas this year?"   
"Absolutely! Just, not here. I don't want to be anywhere near Baltimore when we wake up on Christmas morning."   
"Where would you like to do?"   
"Anywhere. I really don't care. I'll go anywhere, as long as you're there with me."   
They smiled at each other for a moment before continuing prepping the meal. Once Will was finished with the potatoes he moved onto the vegetables, glad to be getting away from those round, white balls of evil. Hannibal opened the oven and set the main part of their meal in, then closed the oven door and turned the heat up just a little bit.   
"Right, now we've got a few hours to kill. How shall we decorate this place?"   
"But we're not going to be here?"   
"Doesn't mean we can't give the FBI something nice to look at, does it?"   
Will laughed.   
"I suppose you're right."   
Hannibal grinned, then lifted his wine glass and took a sip.   
"We don't have to decorate now, do we?"   
"No, but it might be nice to see what Bedelia has stashed away in a box somewhere. And we can come up with a few ideas for our own additions."   
"I think I see where this is going."   
Hannibal smirked and drank some more wine.   
"Come along then!"   
Taking his glass with him, Hannibal led Will out of the kitchen. They searched the entire house, ignoring Bedelia completely, and eventually found a rather small box of Christmas decorations. They mostly consisted of small figurines that could easily be over looked, and a few strings of lights. Will took out a stag from the box and held it up with a smile; it was about the same size as his hand and painted in perfect detail. The only relation it seemed to have with Christmas was the fact it's antlers were glittery. He showed it to Hannibal, who held it up to the light with a smile.   
"I think we should keep this."   
"Me too."   
They took the box downstairs and set it in the living room.   
"It's a shame she doesn't have a tree."   
"I'm sure we can rectify that, Will. It wouldn't be Christmas without a suitable tree."   
"Are you saying you're going out to buy a tree?"   
"Not right away, but I will do."   
Will chuckled.   
"You're crazy."   
"Some people would agree, I'm sure."   
Hannibal downed the rest of his wine, then set the glass down on the coffee table.   
"I had better see to Bedelia's needs. There's only so much she can do for herself now, after all."   
"Okay."   
Will settled himself down on the sofa and turned on the TV, Abby jumping up to sit next to him. He almost fell asleep again, but he started and lifted his head when Abby mewed, right in his ear. She then practically headbutted him, rubbing herself against his cheek.   
"First of all, ouch..."   
Smiling, Will pushed himself upright and brought Abby onto his lap. She stood on his lap, her front paws on his chest, and nuzzled Will's face, purring.   
"You're in a good mood."   
He started stroking her, scratching behind her ears and under her chin. All the while she was purring and rubbing herself on him, the end of her tail gently flicking from side to side. It was the most affection she had ever shown him, seeing as she mostly loved Hannibal, so he wasn't about to waste a single moment. When Hannibal came back down, he watched them for a few moments before Abby realised he was there. She was off Will in an instant, trotting over to Hannibal and rubbing against his legs.   
"I think I get why people like cats so much. They certainly grow on you."   
Hannibal stooped and picked Abby up. She settled in his arms happily.   
"Perhaps when we move we can get a dog."   
"Just one?"   
"To start with, Will, yes."


	31. Chapter 31

True to his word, Hannibal went out the next afternoon and returned about an hour later with a Christmas tree. Will had to help him get it off the jeep and bring it into the house, and neither of them found it to be an enjoyable experience. It was heavy and cumbersome, and with the addition of the cold weather and the fear that someone would recognise them, when they had finally gotten it into the house a glass of whisky was very well received. They sat on the sofa, sipping from their glasses, staring over at the tree which they'd put in the corner, close to the TV. Abby was enjoying playing with the needles, swatting at the lower hanging branches. Twice Hannibal had to get up and pull her down from the tree, though watching their cat brought their spirits back up.   
Once their glasses had been emptied for the second time, Hannibal pushed himself to his feet and disappeared. Will didn't have to wonder where he went, as a few minutes later he returned, carrying Bedelia. He sat her down in the middle of the sofa.   
"We're going to decorate, Bedelia. Do you have any more decorations aside from these?"   
Bedelia nodded, scowling up at Hannibal.   
"In the same place?"   
Bedelia nodded again. Though she was still able to speak, she apparently didn't want to talk around Will. He had heard her the night before, when he went upstairs to listen in, and she spoke quite animatedly to Hannibal about how he and Will were going straight to hell. Admittedly, it was hard to understand half of what she said, but Will had gotten the gist of the conversation. Hannibal simply tucked her in, wished her goodnight and left, having barely said more than ten words to her.   
"I'll go and look then."   
Hannibal did so, leaving Bedelia and Will alone together. Will smiled at her, feeling rather smug, and Bedelia's scowl only seemed to worsen. She stared at Will until Hannibal returned, holding a box of tree decorations.   
"I can't believe we missed this one!"   
He showed the contents of Will, who was just as amazed as Hannibal.   
"It's like Christmas threw up in there."   
"That's one way to put it. Would you like to help me, Will?"   
"Certainly."   
The two of them decorated the tree with Bedelia's decorations, and when they were finished they stepped back to admire their handy work.   
"It looks lovely."   
"I feel like it's missing something, though. I can't put my finger on it."   
Hannibal turned, and smiled. Bedelia knew that smile. Will knew that smile. Abby probably knew that smile.   
"I think it's missing a little...Bedelia."   
Bedelia's expression was stone, though she was a river of emotion underneath; anger, hatred, fear, abject terror. Hannibal turned back to Will.   
"We've got a lot of work to do, my darling." 

Hannibal and Will returned to Bedelia after gathering the things they needed. They each had a knife, though Hannibal had a scalpel as well. They'd also found string, which was an added bonus, and the Christmas lights. They sat down either side of Bedelia, and she looked between the two of them unable to hide the fear on her face. Hannibal gently stroked her hair and she recoiled from his touch.   
"Well, my dear, Ms Du Maurier, I'm afraid that our time at your lovely home has reached its inevitable end. We have got lives to live, after all, and we can't waste them here."   
Will was rolling the handle of his knife between his palms, leaning forward on his elbows.   
"And we certainly won't be spending them locked in a cage, watched continuously by mental health experts and members of the FBI. So, we will be leaving in about...two hours? Would that be accurate, Will?"   
"Possibly. Maybe three."   
"Well, we won't be long, anyway."   
Hannibal looked at Will, who smiled back at him.   
"Having you as my psychiatrist was a memorable experience, Bedelia. I will think of you fondly in the years to come."   
He gently stroked her cheek.   
"Goodbye, Ms Du Maurier."   
He and Will acted at the same time; Will turned himself as Hannibal raised his knife, and they both forced them into Bedelia's stomach at the same time. Her eyes widened and she let out a cry of pain. Will twisted his knife, snarling at Bedelia, while Hannibal pulled his knife towards himself, cutting through more of Bedelia's stomach. Hannibal watched Bedelia's face as Will wrenched out his knife, then brought it down again in roughly the same place. The three of them were soon covered in blood, though the torrent was slowing as Bedelia's heartbeat decreased. The last thing she ever saw was Hannibal and Will smiling down at her, Will looking more insane than she had ever seen. When the light faded from her eyes, Hannibal set down his knife and lifted his scalpel. He ripped open Bedelia's clothes and started cutting her open from chin to stomach.   
"I suppose all we need to decide is what we want to use."   
Will looked around the room, trying to imagine how it would look when they were finished.   
"What would make a suitable tree topper..."   
He looked over the Christmas tree.   
"...and what we should eat."   
He smiled round at Hannibal.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tell me you like the smut, even if it's a lie u.u

"We did pack everything, right?"  
"Does it matter? There's enough of our DNA and fingerprints there for them to know it was us."  
"Besides all the gore, you mean?"  
"Well, obviously."  
In the end, Hannibal and Will had sampled pieces from all of Bedelia's organs before they packed and left. Will was sat looking content with Abby on his lap as Hannibal drove again. They weren't even particularly bothered about being spotted, as long as they weren't followed back to Williamsport, though being followed was the least of their concerns.  
Molly had found their cabin.  
Of course, it was dark, quiet and empty when she had knocked on the front door earlier that evening, but she had sworn to herself that she would come back to ask the residents when they returned, even if that meant waiting until after Christmas. Surely, which such a picturesque home, surrounded by trees, they would want to do spend the festive season snuggled in front of the fireplace?  
Walt had even checked round the back and confirmed that there was nobody in. If they had let Winston out of the car, however, they would both have known just how close they were to figuring out that the cabin was where Will and Hannibal had been living. He would have picked up the scent of his master instantly, regardless of how faint it was. He was left in the car, sitting in the back seat, watching Molly and Walt. He wagged his tail as they came closer, and was instantly licking Walt's face once he was seated.  
"Come on then, kiddo. Let's go back to the motel room."  
"Can I open a present?"  
"Not till Christmas Eve!"  
"It's only four days! Please!"  
"No."  
Molly grinned as she started the car, turned and drove back to the motel. 

Will and Hannibal got back to the cabin in the small hours of the morning, and though both of them were tired, they were both still rather excited. They unloaded the jeep, carrying their belongings into the bedroom, and let Abby out of her carrier. Hannibal made them tea while Will stood in the entryway, staring out of the still open front door. He breathed in the cold night air, then slammed the door shut and shrugged off his coat. They had both showered before leaving Bedelia's, as well as putting on a fresh change of clothes, but he could still smell the blood. He breathed in deeply again, tucking his hands into his pockets, feeling the small tube he'd put in there before they packed.  
Hannibal noticed Will just standing there, and he walked into the entryway.  
"Will? Are you alright?"  
"I am. I'm better than alright. I feel...different."  
"In what way?"  
"I don't know. Like...I could do anything I wanted. I feel powerful."  
Hannibal smiled, raising his hand and cupping Will's neck.  
"I am glad you feel that way, Will. I believe your becoming is almost complete."  
Hannibal went to move away, but Will grabbed his waistcoat and pulled him close. He toyed with the buttons, watching his fingertips before lifting his eyes to Hannibal's.  
"Is it always this exhilarating? Creating masterpieces?"  
"Yes, Will."  
"Good."  
Will pulled Hannibal into a hard kiss, taking the other male slightly by surprise. After a few moments he pulled back, moving his hand from Hannibal's waistcoat to his shoulder. He smiled at Hannibal, then pushed on Hannibal's shoulder firmly.  
"On your knees, Doctor."  
"Will...?"  
"Do as I tell you."  
Hannibal obeyed, more out of curiosity than anything else. He looked up at Will.  
"Strip."  
"What?"  
"Strip."  
From the look he was receiving from Will, Hannibal immediately understood that Will's motives were purely sexual, and that he wasn't about to have his throat slit. With a slight smirk, Hannibal did as he was told, first unbuttoning his waistcoat, then loosening his tie before starting on his shirt. When he removed his tie, and shrugged off his shirt, Will licked his hips. He started on his belt buckle, but Will stopped him.  
"That'll do for now, Hannibal."  
"How long have you wanted to do this to me, Will? To make me kneel before you, supplicating and vulnerable?"  
"Long enough. I've just lacked the confidence to do anything about it until now."  
"Do you perhaps wish that you had a whip to hand?"  
"I wouldn't go that far...your tie should do nicely, though, if it comes to it."  
"I'm intrigued."  
"You can stop talking now."  
Will circled Hannibal, taking him in from all angles, wondering just what he could do first. A whip might have been a little out of his comfort zone, but he wouldn't have been too against a paddle of some kind. He quickly shook that idea out of his mind; if anything, he'd rather anything like that would be the other way around. He swallowed, watching Hannibal just kneeling there, waiting. He knew how self-conscious he was about the branding on his back, yet there he was, going along with what Will told him and not objecting at all.  
"Have you ever thought about this?"  
"Often."  
"Good..."  
Will kicked off his shoes and got on his knees behind Hannibal, pressing right up against him. He kissed over his shoulders, moving from right to left, then took Hannibal's earlobe between his teeth and tugged, biting down. Hannibal hissed, baring his own teeth, and Will smiled. He bit down harder until he could taste Hannibal's blood in his mouth, then pulled back. A small trickle of blood started rolling down Hannibal's neck, and Will caught it with his tongue. A low moan escaped Hannibal's lips and he closed his eyes. Will's hands snaked around Hannibal's waist, moving over his stomach and up to his chest. He let his fingers trace over every inch of Hannibal's skin, slowly moving from his chest round to his shoulders, and it was then that he leaned himself back slightly before forcing Hannibal forwards. Hannibal's hands slammed down on the wooden floor and he let out a grunt. Will parted Hannibal's knees with his own, then continued exploring Hannibal's body, moving his hands over his shoulders, then down his spine. He leaned forwards and kissed over the brand, each kiss lingering and tender, and Hannibal closed his eyes and swallowed as chills ran through him. Will pressed himself against Hannibal's backside before rolling his hips forwards agonisingly slowly. Another low moan rumbled in Hannibal's chest and he arched his back slightly. Will then leaned forwards, laying kisses over Hannibal's spine.  
"I've never explored you, Hannibal...what you like...what you don't like..."  
He kissed right down to the top of Hannibal's trousers.  
"...how easy it is to get you hard...or to get you off..."  
Hannibal swallowed hard, his nails scratching at the wood of the floor as he contracted his fingers.  
"...and I just wanted to change that... _I want to please you_."  
"Nnn..."  
Will grinned, then reached round and finished unbuckling Hannibal's belt. He tugged it free of his beltloops, then dropped it next to them. He then started on the buttons to Hannibal's trousers, followed by the zipper.  
"Now...I don't know how many men have had you before me...and I don't expect a number..."  
Hannibal swallowed again; the number wasn't that high.  
"...but I'm going to go slow, like you did with me..."  
It was Will's turn to swallow. If he wasn't careful, he would end up just tearing Hannibal's trousers off.  
"...at least to begin with...and I can't really guarantee that it'll last long..."  
"That's fine by me."  
Hannibal glanced at Will over his shoulder; his eyes were brimming with desire, and Will smiled. He then gripped Hannibal's trousers and underwear before yanking them down over his hips in one swift movement. Will then unfastened the buttons of his own shirt, though he didn't take it off. When he leaned forwards again he trembled at the skin to skin contact, and momentarily rested his forehead against Hannibal's back, breathing deeply. He then reached around Hannibal again and gripped his length in both hands before stroking slowly. Hannibal moaned, rolling his backside into Will's groin. Will groaned and closed his eyes for a few moments before focusing himself again. He continued stroking Hannibal, squeezing at the base and twisting his wrists at the tip. Hannibal worked his hips, both in order to assist Will, and to arouse him further. And it was definitely working. Will was soon frustrated with the friction of his own clothes, and he eventually was forced to unfasten his own trousers and tug them down. He hastily resumed what he was doing, and Hannibal let out a cry. His back arched, his head tilting backwards. Will trailed more kisses over Hannibal's spine as he rolled his hips, his length rubbing against Hannibal's backside.  
Hannibal lowered his chest, resting against the floor, working his hips back into Will's harder. Their moans were probably loud enough to be heard outside, but neither of them were particularly worried about that.  
"Will..."  
Hearing his name tumbling from Hannibal's lips like that was almost unbearable. It made him want to drag out their session on the floor, really make Hannibal shake and whine with the smallest of his touches, but it was also pushing Will closer and closer to climax, and he really didn't want that. He let his impatience get the better of him and he moved a hand from Hannibal's length to dig through his pocket and tug the tube out. He flipped the cap open and squeezed some onto his fingers before moving back slightly and kissing Hannibal's lower back before moving his hand between the male's cheeks. Hannibal, now resting his head on his forearms, let out a slightly muffled moan.  
"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that."  
Will rubbed against Hannibal's entrance hard, and Hannibal cried out again, lifting his head slightly. Smirking, Will continued. When he was satisfied that Hannibal was suitably warmed up, he tentatively started pushing in his index finger. Hannibal moaned again, biting down on his own forearm, closing his eyes. Taking that was a good response, Will pushed his finger in more and began working it. He soon added a second digit, followed by another moan from Hannibal, and began pleasuring and stretching the other male. He had stopped stroking Hannibal, instead clamping his hand down on Hannibal's backside.  
Hannibal's length was dripping, forming a small puddle on the floor. He tensed around Will's fingers, letting out a moan, then arching his back again.  
"Will..."  
He whined, rolling his hips to meet Will's fingers.  
" _Will_..."  
"What?"  
"Hnn..."  
Will curled his fingers, pressing against Hannibal's prostate. Hannibal cried out, throwing his head back.  
"Will!"  
"That's better...what do you want, Hannibal?"  
"I need to feel you..."  
Will pushed his fingers into Hannibal as deep as he could, and Hannibal cried out again, arching forwards again.  
"Please, Will."  
"Fuck..."  
Will leaned over Hannibal, pressing his forehead against Hannibal's brand. Hearing Hannibal begging wasn't something Will thought he would ever experience. Yet, he just had.  
"Please..."  
Hannibal gasped, rolling his forehead on his forearm. Will breathed in deeply, then pushed himself back up again, taking his fingers from inside Hannibal. He stroked his own length, squeezing out some more lube for good measure, and lined himself against Hannibal's entrance before slowly pushing just the tip inside him. Hannibal whined again, covering his head with both of his arms. Will continued, easing more of his erection into Hannibal, breathing heavily. When he had pushed in to the hilt, they were both panting. Will ran his hands over Hannibal's backside before gripping his hips. He started with shallow thrusts, keeping their bodies as close as possible. Hannibal's pants were soon interspersed with moans, and he pushed himself back up again, his palms flat on the floor. Will raised a hand and brought it down hard on Hannibal's backside before squeezing. Hannibal jerked slightly, surprised by the action, but he enjoyed it all the same. He enjoyed it twice as much when Will did it again, and he rewarded Will's efforts with a moan. Will increased the speed and depth of his thrusts, grinding hard into Hannibal, finding more conviction in his movements. Hannibal pushed himself up, his back meeting Will's chest. He turned his upper body, raising his arms and pulling Will into a kiss. Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal, helping keep him upright but not faltering in his movements at all. As Will thrusted harder, faster, Hannibal's moans grew louder and louder. Will's grip on Hannibal didn't waver, yet Hannibal didn't seem sure on where to put his. He ran his fingers through Will's hair, then clamped his hands over Will's forearms. Eventually he settled on sliding his fingers between Will's as his other hand dropped and he started stroking himself. Will gripped Hannibal's hand as tightly as he could, kissing over his shoulder again. He studied Hannibal's face for a few moments before opening his mouth and bringing his teeth down on Hannibal's shoulder. He bit down hard, drawing a loud cry of surprise from Hannibal, who turned his head. Will kept biting down till he tasted blood, and it was this that brought Hannibal to orgasm. His hips bucked as he came hard, crying out Will's name with his back arched. Will thrusted a few more times before he buried himself inside Hannibal completely and released, his forehead resting against Hannibal's shoulder blades.  
The air was filled with their heavy breathing for a few moments before Hannibal let out a laugh.  
"That was...surprising..."  
"I'll say..."  
Hannibal brought a hand up to check his shoulder, and smirked to see his own blood on his fingertips. He brought his fingers into his mouth, looking round at Will.  
"Biting you wasn't planned."  
"It was the spanking I was most shocked by."  
Will's cheeks flushed slightly. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling out of Hannibal as he sat back on his knees. Hannibal pushed his hair from his face, then turned and kissed Will deeply.  
"I feel a shower is necessary."  
"Definitely."  
They both, somewhat awkwardly, got to their feet and removed the rest of their clothing, Hannibal letting out a grunt of satisfaction when he kicked off his shoes.


	33. Chapter 33

Jack pulled up outside Bedelia Du Maurier's house, which was bustling with activity. Residents were being kept back by a police line, who were also keeping back members of the press. There were already cameras rolling, of course, and one of the reporters tried to talk to Jack, but he walked with purpose, being admitted under the police tape. The reporter fell back, obviously frustrated and turned back to her team. Forensics were walking back and forth, there were a few small clusters of officers stood talking, and there was a visibly shaken man talking to two other officers; he was definitely the witness Jimmy had told Jack about earlier. Poor guy.   
The front door was open and after showing his badge to the man standing just inside it, Jack looked down the corridor. The unmistakable coppery smell of blood filled the air, and Jack braced himself for what he was about to find. Jimmy had told him that the majority of the blood was in the living room, but there was also a great deal in the kitchen and pantry. He could see the gentle twinkling of lights reflected on the hallway floor, but just before he reached the living room, Brian emerged from inside. He instantly spotted Jack, his face deathly pale.   
"We were wrong, Jack. We were so wrong."   
"Talk to me, Brian."   
Brian took a deep breath.   
"A neighbour received a parcel for Bedelia this morning, and being the good, Christian man that he is he decided to bring it round for her as he figured it might have been a Christmas present. Well, he knocked and didn't get an answer, which he considered odd cause he could see the Christmas lights flickering from his house. He walked round to the living room and...well...you can't really miss all this with the big windows..."   
Shaking his head slightly, Brian left, walking round Jack and back outside, presumably to get some more equipment. Or some fresh air. Though, as Jack turned to the living room, he couldn't blame Brian for wanting to get out.   
There really was blood everywhere; splashes, drops, tacky pools on the once white carpet. Even from where Jack was he could make out fingerprints and shoe prints scattered around the room. Whoever did this either didn't care about getting caught, or wanted to make it easy for them to be identified. And after what Jimmy had said over the phone, Jack was going with the former. Bedelia's covered corpse was on the sofa. He crossed to it as he pulled on a pair of gloves, then pulled back the sheet.   
"Poor, Bedelia..."   
Her eyes were blank and staring up at him, her face frozen in abject terror. He could only imagine the pain she had suffered, and after looking at her injuries he was forced to lower the sheet again, his stomach churning. He then took in the rest of the room, disgust written on his face.   
What should have been a nicely decorated room, ready for Christmas day, was more like something out of a horror movie; Bedelia's intestines had been wrapped with lights, then draped around the room, hammered into place with nails. Her organs had been painstakingly cut into various shapes, and some pieces of her adorned the Christmas tree, as well as various actual decorations. Her heart was being used as the tree topper, a ghastly replacement for an angel or a star. What remained of her left leg had been wrapped in tinsel and was resting beneath the tree, while what was left of her right leg had baubles hanging from it. It was resting against the wall, as though nobody could decide what to do with it. From the living room he went into the kitchen, and there was plenty of blood and gore in their as well. What Jack assumed was additional pieces of Bedelia had been cooked and partially eaten.   
"Jack..."   
Jack turned to find Jimmy behind him, holding up an evidence bag that contained a cell phone and a note.   
"We've already had bomb disposal check it out. Hell, we've _all_ already checked it out."   
Jack took the bag, able to read the note without having to open it;   
_Merry Christmas, Jack!_  
"There's a video on the phone."   
Jimmy swallowed and Jack nodded. He turned the cell phone back on, unsurprised to find it was completely blank except for the video, which he played.   
It was Hannibal and Will, both of them with an arm wrapped around the waist of the other. They were smiling, and covered in blood. He could see Bedelia in the background behind them, and evidence of their handiwork was evident.   
"Hi, Jack! I bet this is quite the surprise."   
"No doubt you accepted the scenario that Will and I perished after our fall into the Atlantic. As you can see, that simply wasn't the case."   
"No, we're very much alive, and just wanted to leave you a little snippet of what's to come, Jack!"   
"From us to all of you, Happy Holidays, and have a truly spectacular New Year."   
The two men smiled at the camera for a few more moments before the video stopped. Jack clenched his fist around the cell phone.   
"I want an APB on these two, immediately!"   
He called out to anyone in the vicinity who would hear him, which was practically everyone.   
"I want them found before the end of the day! Anyone who finds them, anywhere in this country, is to call _my_ cell directly _as soon as they have them in custody_!"   
He handed the evidence bag back to Jimmy, who moved away again as Jack pulled out his own cell phone. He pressed speed dial and put the phone to his ear. After it went to voicemail, he hung up and dialled again. And again. After it went to voicemail the sixth time, a sense of dread washed over him. He marched back into the living room, grabbing the first officer he could find that wasn't really doing anything important.   
"I need you to find Molly Graham for me. She's not answering her calls. I'm going to her house now to make sure she's alright. Check everything; the last location she was in during her last phone call, the last place and time she used her credit card, everything."   
"Yes, sir."   
Jack stuffed his cell phone in his pocket, then ripped off his gloves, stuffing them into his pockets as he hurried out of the house. The lack of Freddie Lounds' voice in the sea of calls he received sent his heart racing faster.   
_Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham were still alive._


	34. Chapter 34

Though Will was ready to go the day after Jack found Bedelia cut up in her living room, for some reason Hannibal insisted they stay for another day. When Will asked about it, Hannibal had impatiently told him to mind his own business, and then went out. Will was left alone, wondering what on earth he could have possibly done to change Hannibal's mood so drastically. It wasn't Will's fault at all. Hannibal had been waiting for a delivery, and it hadn't arrived yet.   
Which was why he went into town to ask at the post office. Lo and behold, the parcel was waiting for him behind the counter, and he graciously accepted the clerk's apologies that it hadn't been delivered as he signed for it. He thanked the man, wished him a Merry Christmas, then turned and left. It was as he stepped outside to return to the jeep that he spotted Molly. His heart leapt into his chest, and he was momentarily frozen in place, staring at the woman who was talking quite animatedly to her son, Walt, who was walking Winston. Hannibal swallowed, closed his eyes, and counted to ten. This wasn't good; this wasn't good at all. How long had they been in town? Did they know they were living there? _Did they know about the cabin_?   
Panic set in and he hurried to the jeep, dropping his keys as he tried to unlock the door. When he finally managed to climb into the driver's seat, his hand hovered with the key near the engine starter. Did he tell Will he'd seen them? Or should he keep it to himself? Did he attempt to deal with them himself, or just drive? He swallowed again and looked back towards Molly and Walt, who were slowly getting closer. If they spotted him it was all over.   
No, he had to tell Will. He had no idea how Will would react, but he had to tell him...right? 

Jack had driven all the way from Baltimore to Maine for absolutely nothing. Molly's house was completely devoid of life, and after talking to a neighbour, he jumped back into his car. He called the officer he had tasked with finding Molly Graham, and he didn't like the news he received; she'd been travelling across the country by the looks of her credit card use, though she was currently staying at a motel in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. While this could mean one of two things, Jack was willing to bet his entire career that it was because she's narrowed down on Hannibal and Will's location. And like hell he was going to let her deal with it alone.   
He drove like a madman back to his house, throwing a change of clothes in a bag before jumping back into his car and setting off for Williamsport. 

"I can't wait for tomorrow."   
"Why?"   
"Because I can open a present."   
Molly chuckled and ruffled Walt's hair.   
"The day after you can open all of them."   
"Yeah."   
Walt didn't have very many, and he knew they were all things his mother had found in town, but he was grateful just the same. She had even given him some pocket money so he could buy her a present, and he had ended up being able to get her two. He hoped she liked them.   
They turned to cross the road, and had started to cross before they were forced to jump back onto the curb as a jeep went speeding past them. Molly swore loudly, dragging Walt back a few more feet. She watched the jeep as it turned out of sight...just in time to see Winston darting around another corner.   
"Oh _shit_! Honey are you alright?"   
"I'm fine, mom. We have to get Winston!"   
They checked both ways before they ran across the road in the direction Winston had gone. 

Hannibal skidded to a halt outside of the cabin and quickly turned off the engine before he went to climb out of the jeep. He hesitated with the door open, then closed it again, sitting back in his seat. He and Will were leaving early the following morning, and Christmas day itself was the day after, so did he really need to worry about Molly? He looked towards the cabin and chuckled as it opened and a concerned looking Will emerged. He gave Will a smile before climbing out of the jeep, completely forgetting about the parcel he had shoved in the glovebox.


	35. Chapter 35

Hannibal forgot all about Molly and Walt being in town until they were packing the car the following morning.   
Abby was meowing angrily in her carrier, pawing at whatever pair of legs went passed her first, though nothing she did granted her, her freedom. In the end she settled down, her tail flicking, glaring angrily at the legs as they went by.   
Will was taking his suitcase out to the jeep while Hannibal was in the living room, checking the space one final time before leaving, when he heard a loud thud outside followed by Will shouting incredulously.   
" _Winston_?"   
"Damn."   
Hannibal hurried out of the room and into the entryway in time to see Will darting forwards, skidding to his knees and throwing his arms around his dog. He wasn't sure who was more excited to see the other, but Winston's tail wagging furiously expressed more emotion than Will, who was seemingly trying to pet his dog at the same time as hold him still enough for him to really look at him.   
"What're you doing here, boy? How did you get all the way he-…"   
Realisation dawned on Will, and he managed to hold Winston back long enough for him to get to his feet. He took hold of Winston's leash as he stood, then turned to face Hannibal.   
"They're here."   
Hannibal swallowed.   
"There's no way Winston could have got from Maine to here by himself...Molly's here..."   
Hannibal nodded; maybe wouldn't have to tell Will anything after all. Will stood in silence for a few moments, staring at Hannibal but not really looking at him. He eventually focused and looked at Hannibal's face.   
"We have to go."   
He turned to the jeep and convinced Winston to jump inside, then darted forwards and grabbed Abby's carrier. 

"No, Jack, you don't understand..."   
"They're dangerous, Molly!"   
Jack had arrived in Williamsport, and it hadn't taken him long at all to track down where Molly and Walt were staying. Molly had been extremely surprised to find Jack standing at the check in desk, though her surprise turned quickly to defence when he started having a go at her. It was only when he mentioned that Will had been involved in the murder of Bedelia Du Maurier that she calmed herself down. He was trying to convince her to leave.   
"I just need to talk to him..."   
"Think about Walt in all this, would you?!"   
"That's all I have done!"   
"No, It's not! You took him out of school and dragged him across the country looking for a cannibal and a psychopath! He's already been through severe emotional trauma; do you want to put him through more?!"   
The argument continued for another five minutes before Molly broke off mid-sentence and looked at Walt.   
"That cabin."   
"What cabin?"   
Jack looked between Molly and Walt, expecting an answer, but Molly didn't provide him one. Instead, he spoke directly to Walt.   
"Remember, the one we went to the other day, but it was empty? They must've been..."   
"...killing that Bedelia woman..."   
Molly swallowed; hearing Walt saying that out loud damn near broke her heart.   
"We don't know that for sure, sweetie."   
"I was there, Molly. I saw everything."   
"Come on."   
Molly took Walt's hand and led him out of their motel room. Jack followed, looking furiously.   
"You can't be serious!"   
"I need to talk to my husband, Jack."   
Molly wrenched open the driver's side door, then climbed in. Walt followed suit, and as she pulled out of the parking lot Jack was starting the engine of his own car. 

"Is that everything?"   
Will turned to Hannibal as they climbed into the car.   
"Yes. Would you like me to drive?"   
"No."   
Will climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. 

Jack stayed close to Molly's bumper as she drove. He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly he was worried he was about to tear it off. He couldn't believe she was just charging off the way she was, putting Walt's life at risk as well as hers. If she'd stopped to think about it for one minute, she would know she was being beyond reckless. Jack would be able to call for back up and they could arrest those sons-of-bitches.   
Also, if Molly was paying more attention to the other drivers on the road instead of her end goal, she would have spotted a vaguely familiar jeep zooming past them; but she didn't.   
When she arrived at the cabin, her heart sank. It looked empty, still, and quiet. She switched off her engine and climbed out of the car, telling Walt to sit tight. Jack hastily got out of his own car and jogged over to her, taking her arm and stepping in front of her, drawing his service pistol. He walked cautiously up the porch steps, glanced at Molly, then knocked on the front door. 

"I think we passed Jack and Molly."   
"We did."   
"Did they spot us?"   
Hannibal craned round in his seat, checking the road behind them. He shook his head.   
"Doesn't look like it."   
Will breathed out heavily, looking relieved. He relaxed his grip on the steering wheel, the tension easing from his shoulders. He smiled round at Hannibal, who returned the smile.   
They both settled in their seats, and Hannibal reached forwards, opening the glovebox with the intention of drinking some of the bottled water Will had stashed in there as they were leaving. Instead, he spotted the parcel that he had put in there, and took it out. He ripped it open and grinned broadly.   
"What's that?"   
Hannibal didn't answer; he took out the contents of the parcel and examined them. Birth certificates, social security numbers...everything he had specifically ordered were there, but most importantly, two brand new passports. He turned to Will and smiled.   
"Tell me, Will; have you ever been to London?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! it's done! my first Hannibal fanfiction is complete!
> 
> there _is_ going to be an alternate ending, which is going to have it's own spin off fic; this wasn't the original ending i thought of for this fic, and i decided to make it an alternate because...well, you'll see for yourself when i post it up sometime in the next week :3
> 
> i hope you like it! and sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed; i got rather excited.  
> there _might_ be a continuation of this fic with Will and Hannibal in London, _if_ i can think of a few chapters to go with it.
> 
> thank you so much for reading! any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated, and if you liked it enough please share it or recommend it to your friends <3


	36. [Alternate Ending]

Realisation dawned on Will, and he managed to hold Winston back long enough for him to get to his feet. He took hold of Winston's leash as he stood, then turned to face Hannibal.  
"They're here." 

"That cabin."  
...Molly wrenched open the driver's side door, then climbed in. Walt followed suit, and as she pulled out of the parking lot Jack was starting the engine of his own car. 

"Is that everything?"  
Will turned to Hannibal as they climbed into the car.  
"Yes. Would you like me to drive?"  
"No."  
Will climbed into the driver's seat and turned the starter key...but nothing happened.  
"What the..."  
He repeated the action but all he got back was a series of clicks.  
"No..."  
He tried it a third time and received the same noise.  
"No!"  
He beat his hands against the steering wheel, making Abby hiss, Winston whine and Hannibal...actually swear.  
"Shit."  
"Yeah, no kidding!"  
Will glared at Hannibal, then climbed out of the car.  
"Why are you blaming me?"  
Hannibal got out as well.  
"You were the last one to drive the same thing! Didn't you check anything?"  
"It slipped my mind..."  
Will rolled his eyes and stalked back to the cabin, then started frantically searching through all the things they were leaving. He eventually walked back out to Hannibal.  
"You're telling me that you've got a purpose built, bespoke kitchen in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but you didn't think to buy any _fucking jumper cables_?!"  
Hannibal pushed out his chest slightly, making himself just that little bit taller. He looked affronted.  
"I am prepared for anything."  
"You're obviously not prepared for this!"  
Will, frustrated, kicked the jeep's front tire. Hannibal shook his head and started back towards the house.  
"Keep trying the engine. _I'll_ look for the cables."  
Will made a face at Hannibal's back and climbed back into the car. He didn't mean to shout, but he was under a lot of pressure. Heck, they both were...  
...and the cause of said pressure zoomed around the corner.  
Will heard the screech of tires before he looked up at the rearview mirror. The sight of that all too familiar car sent his blood running cold.  
"H...Hannibal..."  
The word came out as barely more than a whisper, and as Molly skidded to a halt a few feet away from the jeep's bumper, Will had jumped out of the driver's seat and started towards the cabin. He didn't get very far, however, as he heard three car doors open, shortly followed by the click of a revolver.  
"Don't move, Will."  
He froze, swallowed, and glanced over his shoulder; of course, it was Jack. Aiming his gun over the roof of his car.  
"Put your hands in the air."  
"Jack, please..."  
"He's a murderer, Molly."  
"Get back in the car, Walt."  
Will closed his eyes as he slowly raised his hands, interlocked his fingers, then rested his palms on his head. When he opened his eyes again he could just make out Hannibal's face through the kitchen window. He shook his head ever so slightly and Hannibal's face vanished from view.  
"Where is he, Will?"  
Molly, getting closer, spoke softly.  
"Who?"  
"You know damn well who, Will. Where is he?"  
"Please don't swear, Jack. There's a lady present."  
"There was a lady present at Ms Du Maurier's house, but you changed that."  
Will swallowed, scanning the cabin again. Hannibal hadn't come out yet; had he run? Will hoped he had.  
"Where is Hannibal, Will. Don't make me ask again."  
"He's gone."  
"No, he's not."  
Jack's voice was coming closer, though not as quickly as Molly's had. Will could picture him, his eyes scanning everywhere, his head turning, gun raised.  
"How do you know he didn't abandon me?"  
"He cared for you too much for that."  
Will let out a laugh. That, at least, was true.  
"Will...please...please come home..."  
Hearing Molly's voice thick with tears tugged at Will's heart, but not enough. Any loving, romantic or sexual feelings he may have once held for her were gone. Living with Hannibal, being the man he was meant to be, having the freedom to say, think and do whatever he wanted to do was worth so much more than Molly could ever hope to offer him. And Will had a feeling that somewhere, deep down, Molly knew it. She probably always had.  
"I am home, Molly."  
Molly let out a gasp and Will knew she was crying more. He peered over his shoulder, first at Jack, who was focused on something in the trees, then to Molly. He slowly turned, studying her face.  
"Easy, Will. Don't make me shoot you."  
"I'm not going to hurt any of you, Jack. Just let me go."  
He looked briefly at Walt, sitting in the car with his face also streaked with years, and he felt...nothing. Nothing at all.  
Will breathed in deeply and sighed. How much longer were they going to have to stand there before Jack either arrested him, shot him, or just left? If they had to stand there for hours, Will would do so. Anything to give Hannibal time to run. Run, as he should have done years ago.  
But, apparently, Jack had other plans. He started closing in on the cabin, still looking all around himself, as though waiting for Hannibal to jump down from a tree. Will couldn't blame him; the two of them had certainly given each other a beating in the past. Twice, if Will's memory was correct. The idea of seeing it for himself made him smirk.  
"I know you're here, Doctor Lecter. It would do for you to show yourself."  
Will almost held his breath, but there was no reply from the cabin. Jack shook his head.  
"Have it your way, then."  
And he started up the porch steps. Will stared hard at Molly as Jack disappeared into the cabin.  
"You shouldn't have come here, Molly. And you certainly shouldn't have brought Walt."  
"I knew you were still alive. I had to see you."  
"You should have just accepted that I was dead."  
"No! I love you, Will! Please, just come home."  
"I already told you I am home. Just go."  
Molly sobbed harder. Will actually felt himself sneer.  
"We're a family, Will. Please!"  
"Hannibal is my family."  
Molly cried harder, covering her face for a few moments.  
"What has he done to you? You said you would be different when you came back but...this isn't you, Will. You aren't the man I married."  
"No, I'm not. That man was a coward, too afraid to look inside himself and be who he was always supposed to be. That man is gone. Hannibal showed me the way."  
"No..."  
Molly whimpered. Will glanced over his shoulder, then slowly lowered his arms. It was this action that made Molly reach behind her and remove a gun from her waistband. Will's gun; he recognised it immediately.  
"Don't...don't do anything..."  
"Moll..."  
"Don't! I have to get you home. You're not well."  
"I am perfectly well."  
There was a crash from inside the house and Will turned. Molly cocked the gun.  
"Stay there, Will!"  
Will's heart was hammering hard against his ribcage. He scanned the cabin from one end to the other, expecting to hear gunshots, or to see Hannibal being led out by Jack. When nothing immediately happened, Will relaxed slightly, but he was still scanning the cabin. His eyes locked on the door when he saw movement, and was relieved to see it was Jack.  
"Where is he?"  
"I told you, he's not here. What did you break?"  
Jack had lowered his gun, but he hadn't stopped looking around.  
"I may have deliberately broken a few plates."  
"That wasn't wise."  
"You sound like Hannibal."  
"I know."  
Where the hell _was_ Hannibal? Will tore his eyes from the cabin and looked left, then right. He was about to look at Jack again when he saw movement in the trees; Hannibal. What was he planning? And why didn't he just _go_?!  
Jack closed the gap between himself and Will, then raised his gun again and pressed the barrel against Will's temple. Molly let out a scream.  
"Jack! No!"  
"Come out here, Hannibal. Or I shoot him."  
"You wouldn't do something so callous as that, Jack."  
"Show yourself, Hannibal."  
And he did; he emerged from beside the woodpile, where Will had seen him moments before. Right where they had buried Scarlett. He was holding a kitchen knife, and Will actually laughed. Hannibal grinned back.  
"Drop it."  
"I don't think I will."  
Will's laugh died. Anger and murder were alight in Hannibal's eyes.  
"Hannibal, I think we've lost this one."  
"I won't go back there, Will."  
Will swallowed.  
"I don't particularly want to either, but...there's no way we can get out of this one."  
"We can try."  
"Hannibal..."  
"Drop the goddamn knife!"  
Molly's hands were shaking, but she was resolutely aiming her gun at Hannibal, who smirked at her.  
"Good day to you, Mrs Graham. Or is it Ms Foster again?"  
"Shut up!"  
Hannibal looked incredulously at Will, then back to Molly.  
"How rude of you."  
"Hannibal, whatever you're thinking, please don't do it."  
Hannibal ignored Will and slowly took a few steps towards Molly, before she straightened her arms, no longer shaking.  
"Stay right there. Walt, call the police. Now!"  
She didn't even need to look to know that Will was doing exactly what she had asked. She glared at Hannibal, hatred flowing off of her in waves.  
"You...you stole him from me..."  
"I freed him."  
"You ruined him."  
"I helped him through his rebirth."  
"You're a murderer."  
"So is Will."  
A cold look flashed on Hannibal's face. Will's stomach somersaulted, and he was sure he heard Molly's mind reach a decision.  
Before he could shout a warning, turn, or even do anything, Molly fired twice. Both rounds hit Hannibal.  
"Molly put the gun down!"  
Jack swung his gun round on Molly, but Will barely heard anything. Almost in slow motion, Hannibal realised what had happened and looked down at himself. Blood blossomed on his coat and he dropped the knife, then fell. Will ran forwards immediately, stumbled, then skidded onto his knees next to Hannibal.  
"No...no...oh no, please no..."  
Hannibal, still apparently in shock at what happened, took a few moments to focus. When he did, Will's tears started rolling down his cheeks. He ripped open Hannibal's coat and let out a cry, then started attempting to stem the bleeding. Every time he thought he had it, more blood would pump out from beneath his fingers. A drop of blood rolled down from Hannibal's lips.  
"No! Hannibal!"  
Hannibal coughed and a rush of blood escaped. Will screamed and pulled Hannibal onto his lap.  
"No...no...please don't leave me..."  
"Will..."  
"Shhh...don't say anything...you're going to be okay..."  
"...Will..."  
Hannibal coughed again, bringing up more blood. The sight of it made Will whimper, more tears clouding his vision before he blinked them again.  
"...I...love...you...Will..."  
"I love you too..."  
Hannibal managed to smile. He raised a trembling hand and Will took it, holding it tightly.  
"...beautiful..."  
It took Will a few moments to realise that although Hannibal was still smiling slightly, and that his eyes were open, he was gone. When it sank in, he scanned Hannibal's face, as though desperately searching for any sign of life.  
"Oh no...no, no, no..."  
He gave Hannibal a small shake.  
"Hannibal...Hannibal!"  
Nothing. Even Hannibal's grip had slackened.  
Will let out an agonised scream and pulled Hannibal's lifeless body against his chest. He tried to hold as much of him as possible as he rocked slightly, backwards and forwards, letting out sobs as he buried his face in Hannibal's hair.  
Nobody moved. Jack and Molly had both lowered their guns, and Walt was cowering inside the car. He was still on the phone to dispatch. The sounds of Will's grief echoed through the air; surely it would be loud enough for the officers rushing to the scene to hear, even over the sounds of their sirens.  
"Hannibal..."  
Will spoke the word softly into Hannibal's hair, breathing in his smell one last time. He gently kissed Hannibal's forehead, then carefully lowered his lover's body onto the ground. He sniffed, then wiped his face on his shirt sleeve. He knelt there for a few more moments.  
"I'll meet you there...at that place you made..."  
He sniffed again.  
"Hopefully you're with Abigail already."  
He smiled weakly, then looked to his right. He reached out and took hold of Hannibal's knife.  
"Will...Will, drop the knife. Drop it."  
Will got to his feet, holding the knife as tightly as he had held Hannibal's hand.  
"Drop the knife, Will."  
Will turned; Jack and Molly had both raised their guns again. Molly's face was again wet with tears. Did she have any remorse for what she'd done? For what she'd stolen from Will?  
If not, she would.  
"Does it feel good, knowing you brought down a man that even the FBI couldn't?"  
"Will, put the knife down."  
Will ignored Jack, speaking only to Molly.  
"Knowing you've killed a man whom I love? Does that bring you satisfaction?"  
"Will...I...I-…"  
"I think I only married you because I couldn't have him."  
Without any warning, Will started forwards. His face was set, his grip on the knife unwavering. He had only taken three steps when four more shots rang out. He felt the bullets pierce him; one in his shoulder, two in his chest and one in his stomach. He fell to his knees, not taking his eyes off of Molly, even as he fell forwards and everything went black. 

-/- 

A faint beeping sound steadily grew louder. Will frowned in the blackness; what on earth was that? It made absolutely no sense. He was dead, on his way to meet Hannibal at the Norman Chapel, so why was there a beeping sound?  
As the pitch of the sound increased, Will scrunched his face up more and more, until the sound filled the void he had found himself in, and he snapped his eyes open.  
A boring, white tiled ceiling. An IV bag and some other equipment were just in eyeshot. He blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights and swallowed. Or rather, tried to swallow, but he couldn't. There was something in his throat. His eyes widened and he panicked, raising his hands and feeling around his face, finding the culprit immediately; a feeding tube. He yanked it out, coughing and retching. In his struggle to get his throat clear he had forced himself into a sitting position, and he almost immediately felt dizzy. He let out a groan. A door opened somewhere to his right and he turned his head.  
It was Molly.  
"Oh, thank God!"  
She hurried over to him and practically threw herself at him, enveloping him in her arms. Will eventually managed to push her away from him.  
"What..."  
His voice was croaky, his throat sore. He swallowed, but it did little to stop his throat from hurting.  
"What the hell are you doing?"  
Molly looked at Will with a trace of a smile on her face.  
"I'm hugging you, of course. I've been so worried about you."  
"After you shot me, you mean..."  
"What? I didn't shoot you."  
Will made a face and tried to get out of bed, but he was ushered back against the pillows by a nurse. When had she arrived?  
"You need to stay in bed, Mr Graham. You've been through a lot."  
"I'll say. Getting shot isn't exactly fun."  
The nurse looked quizzically at Molly, who shrugged for reply before turning back to Will.  
"Why do you keep saying you were shot?"  
"Because you shot me. You shot me with my own gun."  
"...I didn't."  
"You did!"  
"Mr Graham, please try to remain calm."  
"How can I remain calm when she's denying everything! Well, you can't deny this!"  
Will tore open his hospital gown to expose his chest...which was completely devoid of any indication that he had been shot recently. When neither of the women in the room appeared convinced, he looked down at himself.  
"Wh...what?"  
He ran his fingertips over his chest, as though expecting it to be some kind of trick. But nothing came away under his touch, there was no pain or obvious scarring. Nothing, in fact, except scars that had been there for a long time.  
"This...this doesn't make any sense..."  
"I'll get Detective Crawford."  
"Thank you."  
The nurse left the room, leaving Will alone with Molly.  
"Will...nobody shot you."  
"I don't understand..."  
"You've been in a coma for nearly five months."  
Will looked at Molly.  
"What?"  
Molly perched herself on the edge of Will's bed, either not seeing or deciding to ignore that he physically recoiled from her.  
"They found you on some beach somewhere, almost dead. After that...incident with that man..."  
"Dolarhyde?"  
"Yes."  
Will looked at the sheets, trying to take in what Molly was saying, but it didn't make any sense.  
"Who found me?"  
"Jack and the rest of the FBI team that were there. They'd been looking for you for days."  
Looking for days? No, that wasn't possible.  
"What about-…"  
"Will! So glad to see you're awake!"  
Jack strode into the room, looking as pleased as he said he was. His smile faltered however when Will shot him a look of severe dislike.  
"Now, now, Will, don't look at me like that. I know it's never nice waking up in a hospital."  
"What lies are you feeding people, Jack?"  
"Lies? What are you talking about?"  
"Finding me on the beach? Some gallant rescue, no doubt, bringing me into hospital. Hiding...somehow hiding my gunshot wounds."  
"What?"  
"He thinks I shot him."  
"You _did_ shoot me. I remember it vividly."  
Molly looked at Jack helplessly. Jack stepped closer to the bed.  
"What do you remember, Will?"  
"You two arriving at the cabin and ruining everything."  
"What cabin?"  
"The cabin I was living in with Hannibal!"  
Something clicked in Jack's hand.  
"Ah."  
"'Ah'? Ah, what?"  
"Well, you've been asleep for a while. Your brain's obviously been trying to fill that time."  
"None of this makes sense."  
"Will, you didn't go anywhere with Hannibal. Well, except here."  
Will's face lit up.  
"Hannibal's here?"  
Jack swallowed.  
"No. He's not here anymore."  
"Where is he?"  
Will looked at Molly, then Jack.  
"What did you do with him? Is he alive?"  
"No, Will. He was cremated."  
" _Cremated_?!"  
"He succumbed to his injuries shortly after you fell in the ocean, Will. His body went into shock. He must've passed out and never regained consciousness."  
"...no...no, she shot him. I was there, I saw it."  
Jack sighed, then sat himself down. He and Molly filled Will in on the time he had been asleep, and the more they spoke, the more it sounded like it was true. Jack had even brought some reports with him, as well as several newspapers that were focused on Will, Hannibal and Dolarhyde.  
When Jack finished talking, silence fell in the hospital room. Will was staring at his knees, trying to take it all in.  
"So...I woke up at one point?"  
"Only briefly. You opened your eyes, looked around, then went under again. You had such a high fever we all thought you..."  
Molly cut off, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. That fever...Will had, well, apparently dreamt that he was ill. But Hannibal had been there, taking care of him. He swallowed, his vision blurring as his eyes filled with tears. Jack chose that moment to pull out another sheet.  
"I don't know if this will help but...it might give you some closure."  
He set it on Will's knees, and Will sniffed and wiped his eyes before focusing on the sheet. He lifted it.  
It was Hannibal Lecter's death certificate. A sob escaped Will as he read the place and cause of death, but it was the date that stole the air from his lungs. It was dated nearly five months previously, on the night they'd killed Dolarhyde.  
He tried to draw in a breath, but couldn't. He tried to swallow, but couldn't. His shoulders shook and as he dropped the piece of paper he raised his hands to his face. Then he was able to breathe, drawing air in deeply as he cried into his hands, falling back against his pillows and turning on his side. As far as he was concerned, he had just lost Hannibal twice, once with his own eyes and the second after believing, even for those fleeting moments, that he was still alive.  
Molly tried to comfort him by resting her hand on his shoulder, but Will shrugged it away and curled into a tight ball, still sobbing uncontrollably. Jack managed to convince Molly to leave the room, and he led her out with his hand on the small of her back. He remained, however, watching Will as he began to come to terms with continuing his life without Hannibal Lecter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be the original ending of this fic, but i know how much people hate this waking up from a dream trope, so i changed it. it just means i get to write two spin offs of this fic, rather than one!


End file.
